One of the most controversial sections of the penal code, Paragraph 219a, prohibits the"promotion" of abortion, a crime punishable by"up to two years of imprisonment or a fine". The decision to finally consign the law to history came almost eight decades after its adoption in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler had taken power. FILE PHOTO
The decision to finally consign the law to history came almost eight decades after its adoption in 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler had taken power.It is "absurd" and "no longer in step with the times" that doctors are not allowed to provide complete information on abortion while "every troll and conspiracy theorist" is free to spout views about terminating pregnancies, Buschmann said.
Despite dating back to the darkest chapter in Germany history, the law was applied until recently. Courts handed out penalties to doctors for offering information on the internet about pregnancy terminations. "We can at last fully meet our professional obligation to inform thoroughly. Those affected can finally find factual and serious information on the internet."In June 2019, two gynecologists in Berlin, Bettina Gaber and Verena Weyer, were handed fines of 2,000 euros each for the same offence.
With Paragraph 219a now out of the way, some campaigners are now turning their eye to another related law -- Paragraph 218 -- which outlaws abortions unless they are carried out within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and only under certain circumstances.The aim of this discussion is to "encourage the woman to continue her pregnancy", even if in the end the choice is up to her.
The subject is still taboo in Germany, according to a number of gynecologists, and can feel like an obstacle course for patients, particularly in traditionally Catholic Bavaria.