The Presidency has returned the revised Penal Code to the Chamber of Deputies for consideration in the next session set for tomorrow, Tuesday, 2 December 2014. The President vetoed Articles 107, 108, 109 and 110.
The Dominican Medical Association had asked for the bill to be observed on the grounds that it did not provide any guarantees for the mother’s wellbeing. The revised Penal Code outlaws abortion in any circumstance.
As approved in Congress, the Penal Code did not establish any exceptional situations in which a woman’s fundamental rights to life and health would be respected.
According to the President, the bill also compromised respect for human dignity, physical and moral welfare, which are deemed as authentic situations in which doctors should act and be exempt from penalties.
In a letter sent to the Chamber of Deputies, the President said that the Dominican Republic is among the countries in the region with the highest maternal mortality rate, and this is attributed to the effect of widespread unsafe backstreet abortions.
The President believes that if what is established in the Penal Code is maintained, doctors would be restricted from preserving the mother’s health to avoid facing stiff penalties, including jail sentences mandated by the Penal Code.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/11/30/347404/Codigo-Penal-regresa-manana-a-una-comision-de-la-Camara-de-Diputados