Ist Abtreibung Legal in Deutschland

Good to know that the issue of abortion is not mentioned in medical law. My sister is pregnant unplanned and thinking about an abortion. I didn`t know it was punishable in Germany. Therefore, I will advise her to contact a specialist lawyer and get advice on the circumstances in which an abortion can be legally performed. Until the 1970s, abortion was banned in many European countries. In the Federal Republic of Germany, for example, women who have had an abortion can be sentenced to several years in prison. However, there were exceptions: Iceland, for example, was the first European country to legalize abortion until the twelfth week of 1935 if the health of the pregnant woman was in danger and/or if social circumstances spoke in favor of an abortion. But even in 1913, the Russian Medical Society had demanded legalization. In 1920, a law was finally passed in the Russian Soviet Republic—a precursor to the Soviet Union—that exempted abortion up to the twelfth week.* Stalin repealed the law in 1936 and it returned to effect in 1955. In these circumstances, legal abortion is possible. If the pregnant woman performs the abortion herself, for example by taking appropriate medication, this may be punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine under criminal law.

Abortion has been legal in Canada since 1988 – without delay or other legal restrictions. The magazine “Stern” speaks of a decision unique in the world, which means: “Abortions are treated no differently from knee surgeries or other medical procedures.” In Portugal, until 2007, abortion was only legal for medical reasons or after rape, but since 2007 the regulation of the time limit also applies: since then, women can terminate unwanted pregnancies within the first ten weeks with impunity, provided that prior counselling has taken place. In the Faroe Islands, on the other hand, married women need their husband`s consent to have an abortion. Abortion: Is abortion really legal in Germany? In countries and cultures where abortions are illegal, the complication rate is significantly higher, as abortions are often performed under unhygienic conditions and with questionable methods by mostly unqualified people – sometimes called angel makers in colloquial language – or the women concerned themselves (self-abortion). In addition, abortions are often performed only in the 2nd trimester. According to the WHO, illegal abortions play an important role in the high mortality rate of women of reproductive age in countries where abortion is banned. [22] But even this does not automatically make abortion legal. In addition, pregnant women must go to a state-approved pregnancy conflict counseling center. After this appointment, a consultation certificate is completed, which must then be presented to the doctor performing the abortion.

An additional deadline must be respected, as there must be three days between the consultation and the date on which the abortion is performed. Abortion can therefore only be performed from the fourth day after the consultation. All this must happen within 12 weeks of conception, while only one abortion in Germany goes unpunished. According to World Health Organization estimates (2011), about 210 million women become pregnant each year and about 135 million children are born alive. The remaining 75 million pregnancies end in stillbirth, spontaneous abortion or abortion. About 40% of all pregnancies are unplanned and about one-fifth of all pregnant women decide to abort. This corresponds to about 42 million abortions per year, of which about 20 million are legal and 22 million against the legal requirements of the place of execution. In the GDR, the Law on the Protection of Maternity and Children and the Rights of Women was promulgated in 1950, which, in accordance with article 11, allowed abortion for medical or embryopathic reasons and, in exceptional cases, also from 1965 for social indication. The Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1972 legalized abortion if performed by a doctor within the first twelve weeks, subject to prior consultation and compliance with other legal provisions. On the world map of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Germany is colored blue.

For women, this means they can terminate their pregnancy at their own request. Most other European countries as well as Canada and the United States also wear the color blue. According to the organisation, 95% of European women live in countries where they are allowed to opt for an abortion. In many countries in Africa and South America, on the other hand, medical reasons are necessary. In some cases, the woman`s life must be in danger for an abortion to be legal. 
An abortion in Germany is not legal according to §218 StGB. Under certain conditions, however, it remains unpunished. When exactly this is the case, you can find under Impunity Abortion. In principle, abortion is a criminal offence within the meaning of article 218, paragraph 1, of the Criminal Code.

However, there are a number of exceptional cases in which an abortion can be performed legally. During the second half of the 20th century. Today, more than 80 years after Iceland`s legislative initiative, abortion is legal under certain conditions in most EU countries. However, the reasons considered sufficient for an abortion differ considerably. The majority of illegal abortions are performed by laypeople and usually in unsafe medical and hygienic conditions, often leading to life-threatening complications. According to WHO estimates in 2008, about 47,000 women die each year in illegal abortions. This estimate has been reduced compared to previous estimates (69 000 for 1990). [22] The decline in deaths occurred particularly in South America, where women increasingly had abortions with medication rather than interventions. A look at Germany`s neighboring countries shows that abortion is also part of the penal code elsewhere. In the United States, on the other hand, abortions are theoretically legal – and in Canada, even in practice. Abortion laws in different countries: an overview. Even if many don`t know it, but abortion is illegal in Germany.

Anyone who wants to terminate a pregnancy with impunity must meet certain conditions – and, above all, respect certain deadlines. In particular, the focus is on when an abortion can be performed. German law states that an abortion must be performed within twelve weeks of conception, which corresponds to the 14th week after the first day of the last menstrual period. In France, abortion was first legalized in 1975. As in many other European countries, the deadline was twelve weeks until it was extended to 14 weeks in 2001. Other important changes were also made this year: among others, parental consent was no longer required in all cases for minors; From now on, any pregnant woman can have an abortion if she is in a desperate situation. Left-wing politicians and doctors such as Friedrich Wolf (play Cyankali), Else Kienle or in Switzerland Fritz Brupbacher (pamphlet Kindersegen, Fruchtverhütung, Fruchtababbruchung, 1925) supported this demand for social reasons.