Human rights court begins review of high-stakes El Salvador abortion case

Record ID: 1716559

  • Title: Human rights court begins review of high-stakes El Salvador abortion case
  • Date: 22nd March 2023
  • Summary: SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (MARCH 22, 2023) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS WITH PURPLE SIGN ALLUDING TO THE CASE OF BEATRIZ, SALVADORAN WOMAN WHO WAS DENIED AN ABORTION IN 2013 DESPITE DOCTORS' CALLS TO TERMINATE HER HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY, VS EL SALVADOR PLAQUE READING (Spanish): “INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS” JUDGES ENTERING COURT SALVADORAN GOVERMENT REPRESENTATIVES AT COURT REPRESENTATIVES OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING BEATRIZ CASE AT COURT INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN SESSION BEATRIZ’S MOTHER AWAITING TO OFFER TESTIMONY JUDGES LISTENING BEATRIZ’S MOTHER TESTIFYING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BEATRIZ’S BROTHER, KNOWN AS 'HUMBERTO' TO PROTECT IDENTITY OF FAMILY, SAYING: "It fills us with a lot of satisfaction, a lot of joy, the hope that she will obtain the justice that she could not find in El Salvador, so we hope that we will find it here.” INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN SESSION REPRESENTATIVES OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING BEATRIZ’S CASE AT COURT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF BEATRIZ AND HER FAMILY, GISELA DE LEON, SAYING: "The absolute criminalisation of abortion, even when women's lives are at risk and when the product of pregnancy is unviable, i.e. there is no possibility of uterine life, is a violation of rights. In particular in this case it violates the right to life, it violated Beatriz's right to life, the right to personal integrity and the right to health, it was also a form of torture, she also tried to have access to the mechanisms of justice in the country and these resources were ineffective, the judicial guarantees were not fulfilled and her right to private and family life was also violated.” INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN SESSION JUDGE LISTENING TO TESTIMONY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GUILLERMO ANTONIO ORTIZ, DOCTOR WHO TREATED BEATRIZ AND COULD NOT PERFORM THE ABORTION, SAYING: "The most prudent thing to do was to terminate the pregnancy so as not to risk her, her health and her life, since she had had a previous experience, in the previous pregnancy, her first, where she had been exposed (to the same situation) and had been on the verge of death.” REPORTER ASKS: “And why was (the abortion) not carried out?” ORTIZ ANSWERS: “The procedure was not performed because within this group of experts, in the medical committee, there is a lawyer and it was he who made us aware that it was illegal.” SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (MARCH 21, 2023) (REUTERS) INTER-AMERICAN COURT BUILDING EXTERIOR WITH ACTIVISTS HOLDING PURPLE BANNERS RELATED TO BEATRIZ CASE FLAG OF THE ORGANISATION OF INTER-AMERICAN STATES WAVING PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS WITH IMAGE OF WOMAN AND TEXT READING (Spanish): “THIS IS A FIGHT FOR BEATRIZ AND FOR EVERYONE” PROTESTER HOLDING POSTER WITH IMAGE OF WOMAN AND TEXT READING (Spanish): “JUSTICE FOR BEATRIZ” (NIGHT SHOT) PROTESTERS LIGHTING CANDLES OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE TO BEGIN VIGIL (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF VIGIL OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE
  • Embargoed: 6th April 2023 00:16
  • Keywords: Beatriz El Salvador Inter-American Court of Human Rights abortion
  • Location: SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
  • City: SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
  • Country: El Salvador
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001953922032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday (March 22) began hearing the historic case of a Salvadoran woman who was denied an abortion in 2013 despite doctors' calls to terminate her high-risk pregnancy.
    The case of the woman, a domestic worker known only as 'Beatriz' to protect her identity, became a symbol of El Salvador's blanket ban on abortion, which punishes with prison time those who undergo the procedure and those who perform or assist in it.
    Experts say the court's ruling at the end of the year could have far-reaching implications on reproductive health across the continent.
    "It fills us with a lot of satisfaction, a lot of joy, the hope that she will obtain the justice that she could not find in El Salvador," said Beatriz's brother, known only as 'Humberto' to protect the identity of the family.
    Doctors diagnosed Beatriz, who suffered from lupus and other ailments, with her second high-risk pregnancy in February 2013, and said the foetus would not survive the pregnancy.
    They recommended an abortion but would not perform the procedure given El Salvador's severe prohibition.
    Beatriz appealed to the Supreme Court and the IACHR, but the Salvadoran court rejected her request and in June 2013 she underwent a C-section.
    Her daughter died hours later.
    Beatriz died in 2017 from complications from a motorcycle accident that occurred en route to a medical appointment.
    The legal representative of Beatriz and her family, Gisela de Leon, said that what Beatriz went through violated her right to life and was also a form of "torture".
    The court's public hearing, which is being held in San Jose, Costa Rica until Thursday (March 23), was marked by both anti-abortion protests and demonstrations in support of Beatriz.
    (Production: Hector Guzman, Rodolfo Pena Roja, Gloria Lopez)
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