Liechtensteinâs archaic abortion laws need to be modernised. But a prince is standing in the way | Gabriella Alvarez-Hummel
The hurdles for women who have to travel abroad to access abortion are considerable, but Hereditary Prince Alois says he will veto any changes The
The hurdles for women who have to travel abroad to access abortion are considerable, but Hereditary Prince Alois says he will veto any changes The first person Maria* called when she found out she was pregnant was her doctor. The second person was a lawyer. The single mother of one was in shock, and considering terminating the pregnancy.
But she first had to make sure that she wasnât about to do something illegal, because all she knew was that abortions were forbidden where she lived. âOn top of the emotional mountain that was already there, I also had to deal with this,â Maria told me. She also knew she wouldnât get any information about abortions in her own country â thatâs illegal too.
After making her decision, she drove to a clinic across the border. It was a stressful, if short, 45-minute drive, at the end of which another hurdle was waiting: âOh, youâre from Liechtenstein?â the receptionist said, according to Maria. âThen you have to pay immediately
â 680 Swiss francs (ÂŁ620) please.â She was taken aback and asked: âWhat if I canât pay that right now?â The receptionist replied: âThen youâll have to come back tomorrow.â Gabriella Alvarez-Hummel is a campaigner and journalist from Liechtenstein, focusing on reproductive rights Continue reading...
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