- Title: Verdict for Salvadoran woman accused of killing stillborn expected next week
- Date: 16th August 2019
- Summary: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR (AUGUST 16, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANT PLACARDS WITH MESSAGES OF SUPPORT FOR DEFENDANT PROTESTER AT VIGIL OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE CANDLE AT VIGIL, PLACARD READING (Spanish) "LIBERTY, JUSTICE AND COMPENSATION" DEFENDANT EVELYN HERNANDEZ LEAVING COURTHOUSE AND STANDING BEFORE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEFENDANT, EVELYN HERNANDEZ, SAYING: "I want to thank you all (supporters) for your support, you've been here supporting me. Now, waiting for Monday at 11am (1700GMT) for the ruling, always being positive, I know it's going to go well. Thank you for everything." HERNANDEZ GETTING INTO VEHICLE OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE, GOING THROUGH CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEFENCE LAWYER, BERTA DE LEON, SAYING: "What we hope for is for the judge to outline the objectives, so as to analyse the scientific evidence that exists, that there was a stillborn which ended the life of the newborn. There is no crime to prosecute, that is what we hope for." PROTESTERS GATHERED OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE
- Embargoed: 31st August 2019 00:30
- Keywords: baby San Salvador murder retrial stillboard court abortion Evelyn Hernandez El Salvador woman
- Location: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
- City: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
- Country: El Salvador
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASGY72F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The verdict in a retrial of a Salvadoran woman convicted of aggravated homicide after a stillbirth is expected on Monday (August 19), the woman's lawyer said on Friday (August 16), in a closely watched case that could overturn a 30-year prison sentence.
Defendant Evelyn Hernandez, 21, has already served three years of the three-decade sentence handed down after prosecutors said she had induced an abortion.
El Salvador bans abortion in all circumstances.
Any intentional termination of a pregnancy in El Salvador can be prosecuted as a crime, including stillbirths due to home delivery or abortions induced because of medical emergencies.
Some 147 Salvadoran women were sentenced to up to 40 years in prison in such cases between 2000 and 2014, according to the Citizen Group for the Decriminalisation of Abortion, a local rights group.
(Production: Wilfredo Pineda, Jose Cabezas, Rodolfo Pena Roja) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None