Women prosecuted and imprisoned for abortion in Chile

Reproductive Health Matters

Volumn 5, Issue 9, 1997, Pages 29-36

  Casas Becerra, Lidia ^a  

^a Oficina 507   (Chile)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ABORTION; ARTICLE; CHILE; COURT; FEMALE; HUMAN; LAW; LAW ENFORCEMENT; MAJOR CLINICAL STUDY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PRISON;

EID: 0030796158     PISSN: 09688080     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/s0968-8080(97)90003-3     Document Type: Article

References (21)

1. Panel Aborto Terapéutico. Cuadernos de Trabajo No.4. Departamento de Trabajo Médico y Actión Gremial, College of Physicians of Chile. Santiago, 1989.
2. Actas Oficiales de la Comision Constituyente. Vol 3, Garantias Constitucionales, Sesion 87a del 14 de Noviembre de 1974. República de Chile, Santiago 1974.
3. Ferrando D, Hawker S, Llera S et al, 1994. Aborto Clandestino: Una Realidad Latinoamericana. Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York. This study estimated that 35 per cent of pregnancies in Chile end in abortion. This percentage was higher than in Brazil (31 per cent), Colombia (26 per cent), Mexico (17 per cent), Peru (30 per cent) and the Dominican Republic (28 per cent). Estimates for Chile indicate that for every ten live births there are six abortions, compared to four abortions per ten live births in most of the other countries in the study save Mexico, with two abortions per ten live births. It is unclear why Chile has such a high rate of abortion, especially since use of modern contraceptives is also high. However, Chilean women are having fewer children, hi 1992, urban dwellers had 2.26 and rural women 3.14 (overall 2.39). Source: Mujeres de Chuile: Radiografia en números: 8 de Marzo 1994. International Women's Day Issue. National Statistics Institute, Santiago 1994.
4. Ferrando D, Hawker S, Llera S et al, 1994. Aborto Clandestino: Una Realidad Latinoamericana. Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York. This study estimated that 35 per cent of pregnancies in Chile end in abortion. This percentage was higher than in Brazil (31 per cent), Colombia (26 per cent), Mexico (17 per cent), Peru (30 per cent) and the Dominican Republic (28 per cent). Estimates for Chile indicate that for every ten live births there are six abortions, compared to four abortions per ten live births in most of the other countries in the study save Mexico, with two abortions per ten live births. It is unclear why Chile has such a high rate of abortion, especially since use of modern contraceptives is also high. However, Chilean women are having fewer children, hi 1992, urban dwellers had 2.26 and rural women 3.14 (overall 2.39). Source: Mujeres de Chuile: Radiografia en números: 8 de Marzo 1994. International Women's Day Issue. National Statistics Institute, Santiago 1994.
5. From Health Statistics: Hospital Releases for 1983 and 1990, published by the National Statistics, Ministry of Health, Santiago, in 1985 and 1992 respectively.
6. Annals of Justice and Police for 1983, published in 1984.
7. Correa J and Jiménez M, 1995. Acceso de los Pobres a la Justicia. Vanderschueren F and Oviedo E, (eds). Programa de Gestión Urbana, UNCHS, PNUD Banco Mundial, SUR, Centre de Estudios Sociales y Educacion, Ediciones Sur, Santiago.
8. Jiménez M, 1994. El Proceso Pénal Chileno y los Derechos Humanos. Vol II, Estudios Empíricos, Cuadernos de Análisis Juridico. Diego Portales University Law School, Santiago.
9. Annals of Justice: 1984. National Statistics Institute, Santiago, 1986. Annals of Justice: 1991. National Statistics Institute, Santiago, (no year stated).
10. Annals of Justice: 1984. National Statistics Institute, Santiago, 1986. Annals of Justice: 1991. National Statistics Institute, Santiago, (no year stated).
11. Silva I and Rubio C, 1994. Drogas y mujeres en prisión: Evolución de una década. Revista Chilena de Ciencia Penitenciaria y de Derecho Penal. No.20.3a Epoca, Santiago.
12. Casas-Becerra L, 1996. Mujeres Procesadas por Aborto. Foro Abierto de Salud y Derechos Reproductivos. Santiago.
13. Legal Aid is for people who cannot afford a lawyer and is provided free.
14. Leal S and Ortega R, 1991. A mi no me va a pasar: descriptión y análisis de la realidad psicosocial y estilos atribucionales en mujeres que ingresan al Hospital Barros Luco por complicaciones de aborto. Undergraduate thesis, School of Psychology, Diego Portales University, Santiago.
15. Salazar G, 1993. Acción sobre aborto inducido mediante el apoyo integral a la mujer post abortante. Institute de la Mujer, Santiago.
16. The neo-conservative economic plan implemented by the Pinochet regime made unemployment skyrocket. Discontent led the government to create this emergency employment programme, which was in effect from 1975 to 1988.
17. Chile's criminal justice system does not provide for an independent prosecutor. Judges conduct an investigation and then lay charges if they concur that a crime may have been committed. Later, they must pass judgement on their own findings.
18. Leading statements of dissent include: - Etcheberry A, 1976. Derecho Penal. Tomo IV, Parte Especial, 2nd ed. Editorial Nacional Gabriela Mistral, Santiago. - Silva H, 1995. Medicina Legal y Psiquiatría Forense. Tomo II. Editorial Jurídica de Chile, Santiago.
19. Leading statements of dissent include: - Etcheberry A, 1976. Derecho Penal. Tomo IV, Parte Especial, 2nd ed. Editorial Nacional Gabriela Mistral, Santiago. - Silva H, 1995. Medicina Legal y Psiquiatría Forense. Tomo II. Editorial Jurídica de Chile, Santiago.
20. Garcia E and Basile A, 1990. Aborto e Infanticidio: Aspectos Jurídicos y Médico-legales. Editorial Universidad, Buenos Aires.
21. In the Chilean judicial system, trials are not conducted in open court with evidence presented orally; rulings are simply read out to the defendant.