Gibraltar gets ready to vote on abortion referendum
8241 Min Read
Religious leaders in Gibraltar have been drawn into a divisive referendum on abortion after they grouped together to compare the act of terminating pregnancies to the holocaust.
Gibraltar’s Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities chose the British overseas territory’s Holocaust memorial as the site to launch their “Vote no” manifesto ahead of the March 19 vote.
Gibraltar has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world. The practice is currently limited to circumstances where the mother’s life is at risk.
The government of Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has proposed changing the law to allow a woman to undergo an abortion up to 12 weeks into pregnancy if her mental or physical health is deemed at risk – or at a later stage if such damage would be grave and permanent. In cases of fatal physical defects in the foetus, there would be no time limit on termination.
The ‘Yes’ campaign appears to be surging, with a poll published last Thursday showing 70 per cent intending to vote in favour of the changes.
Women from Gibraltar wanting an abortion usually cross into Spain to do so, but fears that Brexit may lead to a closure of the border have prompted greater debate on the draconian local law that includes a provision for life imprisonment for illegal abortion.
