Lower house committee passes ban on ads for abortion methods

The Committee for Constitution and Justice of the Chamber of Deputies approved Wednesday (Oct. 21) a bill drafted by the lower house speaker, Deputy Eduardo Cunha, which turns into a crime against life any form of advertisement for means, substances, procedures or objects that may carry out or induce an abortion.

The text also criminalizes and imposes penalties on anyone who provides encouragement for or assistance in an abortion. Should the procedure be performed by health professionals, the penalty is increased to one to three years in jail.

The vote on the proposal was marked by disagreement among lawmakers. One of the most controversial items was eventually excluded from the text by rapporteur Evandro Gussi: a mandatory forensic examination on the body of abortion victims before she receives medical care. Gussi replaced the requirement with a new one: the victim must report to a police station.

Some lawmakers admitted that the original text became "less harmful" after the changes. Gussi, who had previously removed from the bill the item that makes it mandatory for health professionals to inform women of all of their rights, reversed his decision. He originally believed there was no need to have the right to information provided by law, but changed his mind at the request of the women's caucus.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta and Fabrício Ferreira