San Marino at the polls for the referendum on abortion. The promoters: “Historic day. We have been trying for 18 years, but the Church is opposed”
On September 26 came e San Marino prepares an appointment with history, which theUnion of San Marino Women has been complaining for 18 years. Tomorrow, in fact, with a popular referendum San Marino citizens will be asked to choose whether to make it legal or not abortion within 12 weeks of pregnancy and even beyond this period in case of life threatening for the woman or for serious malformations of the fetus. “We are under great pressure – comment to Ilfattoquotidiano.it the Uds president Karen Pruccoli – The ‘no’ committee has the country’s largest party on its side, the Christian Democracy, together with the Diocese, the Bishop, the scouts, Communion and Liberation, Charity without borders, Catholic Action, Provita & Family, the whole Church and also the Pope. If we win it is a good victory ”.
As President Pruccoli told us in July, for 18 years the Union of San Marino Women has been trying to make abortion legal in Republic of the Titan. In San Marino, in fact, still today abortion is considered a crime, in all cases. When the woman is in life threatening, when pregnancy occurs later than one rape or in the case of severe malformations of the fetus. The Criminal Code of San Marino, which has remained more or less unchanged since 1865, provides in fact in article 153 and 154 “the imprisonment of three to six years for every woman who has an abortion and for every person who helps her and who procures the abortion” . For this reason, until today, the San Marino women for free pregnancy were forced to go abroad. “Often in the hospitals ofEmilia Romagna, where they spent at least to have an abortion 1,500 euros plus hotel expenses ”, the Uds president tells us. But how many women have resorted to the practice in the governor-led region Stefano Bonaccini (Pd), it is not known: given that the Ausl has never provided the data either to the UDS or to Ilfattoquotidiano.it who has requested it since July.
In the last seven years, the Union of San Marino Women has had all the tools required by the direct democracy to obtain the right to abortion, which has been law in Italy since 1978. The UDS has in fact succeeded the way of Instances of Arengo (requests of public interest), two popular initiative bills, in 2014 and 2019, “until 2020 – explains President Pruccoli – we decided to move towards the referendum, collecting the 3 thousand signatures required to address it “.
Looking to the past, San Marino shows a delay and history in terms of rights: the law for the vote for passive women came into force in 1974, 28 years later than in Italy, that for the divorce in 1986, 16 years late. While, with two years of delay, from 2018 the civil unions even within the Republic. “For abortion”, comments Pruccoli, “the times are not ripe, they are very ripe. And when we look at the new generations we are even more confident ”.
Within Europe, besides San Marino, there are two micro nations in which abortion is still totally illegal: Andorra And Malta. Until a few months ago, the list was also included Gibraltar, which on 24 June following a popular referendum made the termination of the pregnancy legal. “We are in constant dialogue with the women of Malta, Andorra and Gibraltar. We remain close to Polish women, who have seen their right to voluntary termination of pregnancy reduced. We have received great feedback from the citizens, tomorrow will be an appointment with the history of women’s rights, we hope to make it ”, concludes President Pruccoli.