{"id":527,"date":"2010-08-04T15:08:19","date_gmt":"2010-08-04T14:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stg-blogs.bmj.com\/medical-ethics\/?p=527"},"modified":"2010-08-04T15:08:19","modified_gmt":"2010-08-04T14:08:19","slug":"mexican-taliban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stg-blogs.bmj.com\/medical-ethics\/2010\/08\/04\/mexican-taliban\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the Taliban have a Mexican Wing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Mexican state of Guanajuato has some very strict abortion laws: terminating a pregnancy\u00a0attracts a three-year prison sentence.\u00a0 However, it would appear that prosecutors occasionally up the ante by bringing a charge of homicide, which brings a much more severe sentence; thus six women have been\u00a0given 25-30 year sentences for having an abortion.\u00a0 According to reports<\/a>, all the women in question were poorly educated; all had been abandoned by the fathers of the children (who subesquently, it’s been alleged, reported the women for having an abortion), and two had become pregnant as\u00a0a result of rape.<\/p>\n

These cases look like the acme of justice, though, compared to that of a seventh woman, who was sent to prison for the crime of having a spontaneous abortion.\u00a0 Yep: in Guanajuato, even a miscarriage can get you put away for homicide.<\/p>\n

Guanajuato seems to have some very strange laws relating to sex, reproduction and women – laws that wouldn’t look too out of place in Taleban-era Afghanistan:<\/p>\n

Conservative-led Guanajuato was the only state in the country that refused to promulgate a law against gender violence, as had been federally mandated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was said that violence against women in Guanajuato doesn\u2019t exist and that (such a law) was not necessary,\u201d [one commentator] said. Some years ago, she noted, the authorities tried to eliminate rape as a justifying factor for having an abortion but the opposition of activists prevented that.
\n[…]<\/p>\n

The mayor of Guanajuato city, Eduardo Romero, also tried to prohibit passionate kissing in public.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oh, and one other thing:<\/p>\n

Guanajuato \u2013 with Mexico\u2019s highest rate of teen pregnancy \u2013 refuses to teach sex education in the schools.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What a surprise.<\/p>\n

But there’s something interesting about this kind of case.\u00a0 Those who want to defend a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy will look at reports at this and feel… well, anger, astonishment, righteous indignation, and perhaps a few other similar emotions.\u00a0 But the pro-life camp ought to see this kind of story as a catastrophe.\u00a0 After all, it makes them look utterly insane.\u00a0 It can’t be good PR to be associated with this kind of lunacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Mexican state of Guanajuato has some very strict abortion laws: terminating a pregnancy\u00a0attracts a three-year prison sentence.\u00a0 However, it would appear that prosecutors occasionally up the ante by bringing a charge of homicide, which brings a much more severe sentence; thus six women have been\u00a0given 25-30 year sentences for having an abortion.\u00a0 According to […]<\/p>\n

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