Managua
Nicaraguan government officials this week threatened to prosecute the doctors of a 9-year-old girl who had an abortion after she was impregnated by a rapist. Abortion is only legal in Nicaragua under special circumstances, such as when the mother’s health is in danger. The case sparked a fierce debate in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. Bishops threatened to excommunicate anyone who participated in “this crime against human life.” Women’s groups said only the parents could decide what was best for their daughter. A medical board left the issue unresolved by ruling that her health would be threatened by either childbirth or an abortion. Days later, doctors in a private clinic performed the abortion, and reported that the girl was doing “fine.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The biggest climate records in the last yearIn Depth The number of records set in the past year is a stark reminder of the destructiveness of climate change
-
'The future of abortion access in many states may come down to who has the final say'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPBSpeed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
