Spain scraps reforms on abortion law

Spain was just “inches” away from becoming the most difficult countries in Europe to terminate an unwanted pregnancy until this morning when the country’s Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, withdrew a bill to reform the country’s abortion law.

The bill had proposed allowing abortion only in the case of rape or if the pregnancy posed a serious health risk to the mother. Most Spaniards had rejected against it and it had also divided the ruling Peoples Party (PP).

Speaking to reporters at a conference in Madrid, Rajoy said: "As president of the government, I have taken the most sensible decision,"

The prime minister of the dominantly Catholic country, however said the government would instead look to modify Spain's abortion law so that young women of 16 and 17 could not terminate a pregnancy without their parents' consent and it would take measures to support families by the end of the year.

Spain Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy

The ruling PP had promised abortion reform in its 2011 campaign, but the bill announced last year triggered anger from womens' groups and huge street protests.

Currently, women in Spain have the right to abortion on demand up to 14 weeks into their pregnancy. The law was instituted by the previous Socialist government in 2010.

Women in the country also have the legal right to abort up to the 22nd week of pregnancy in cases where the mother's health is at risk or the foetus shows serious deformities.

Under the previous 1985 law, abortion was a crime in Spain except in cases of rape, risk to the mother's health or deformation of the foetus.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most European countries allow abortion on request, with 88 percent of them allowing the termination of pregnancies if the fetus is thought to be impaired or in cases of rape or incest.