Despite international pressure, the Dominican Republic wants to remain a pro-life country and last week the Chamber of Deputies of the Caribbean country presented the bill to reform the Penal Code. In it the legislators have not contemplated the decriminalization of abortion under three possible assumptions as demanded by abortion groups supported by international lobbies.
These three assumptions that they tried to include in the Penal Code and that have finally been rejected are: risk of death for the mother, rape or incest as well as the existence of a malformation of the fetus that is incompatible with life.
Speaking to Aciprensa, the Dominican pro-life leader Juan Polanco assured that the non-inclusion of these three assumptions supposes a “pro-life victory”.
The pro-life activist also recalled what Congressman Jesús Ogando said on March 15, that there are 110 deputies and 18 senators “in favor of life, of the family, of the principles that sustain society.” This would indicate that there is a pro-life parliamentary majority. The Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic is made up of 190 members and the Senate of 32.
For Polanco, the reform of the Penal Code is necessary because “there are many crimes that are not classified”, and because the current code dates from the 19th century and “is not adapted to today’s circumstances.”
“It is a historical debt that our legislators have with the Dominican people to modify it, but positions clash when the issue of decriminalizing abortion is touched on three grounds,” he commented.