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She had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crime of attempted murder.
A Salvadoran woman who spent more than 10 years in prison, accused of attempted murder for suffering an out-of-hospital delivery, was released this Thursday.
The woman, identified only as Jacqueline, gave birth in July 2011, when she was 23 years old. She asked for medical help, but the authorities denied her that right and the Police arrested her for “wanting to have an abortion”, despite the fact that her daughter managed to survive.
On 12 December 2011, Jacqueline was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crime of attempted murder .
🎉 After 10 years and 9 months in prison, Jacqueline regained her freedom. Ella 💚💚ella she faced an out-of-hospital delivery in July 2011. her daughter survived, but when she sought medical help for both of them, she was detained by police officers. https://t.co/ldYqtnFPMf
— Citizen Group #ManuelaJusticiaYEsperanza (@AbortoPORlaVIDA) May 19, 2022
“Jacqueline’s freedom confirms the path to freedom for all women criminalized by abortion and obstetric emergencies, because it is a justice decision so that in El Salvador there are no more women denounced, persecuted, prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned for problems that must be addressed by public health,” said Morena Herrera, president of the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion.
Abortion in El Salvador
El Salvador has one of the most severe anti-abortion laws in the continent, with penalties of up to 30 years in prison .
Human rights organizations have indicated that the Salvadoran State “should not criminalize” women who face obstetric emergencies and, instead, must guarantee them medical care.
From 2009 to date, 65 women convicted of health emergencies during pregnancy have been released. However, there are still three women in prison, warned the Citizen Group.
