Government members see “attacks” on women’s rights; Lula said that punishing raped women is “insanity”
President’s ministers Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) spoke out against the PL (Bill) 1904/2024which equates abortion performed after 22 weeks of gestation with homicide.
As of this Saturday afternoon (June 25, 2024), at least 14 ministers had publicly spoken out against the PL, which had its urgent nature voted on by the Chamber on June 12 (out of a total of 39).
Lula said that punishing women who suffered rape and chose to terminate their pregnancy is a “insanity”. And that current legislation already guarantees “civilized” for these cases.
Watch (1m20s):
In the days following its processing in the Chamber, the project became the target of national interest, with demonstrations in capitals and on social media.
The first member of the government to speak out regarding the text was the Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Silvio Almeida. He called the PL “inversion of the most basic civilizational values”.
Subsequently, the Minister of Agrarian Development, Paulo Teixeira, and the Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, criticized the proposal. She said it is unconstitutional and poses a threat to young girls.
Gonçalves cited that, in 2022, Brazil recorded 14,000 pregnancies in this age group and 75,000 rapes. According to her, in 6 out of every 10 cases of violence, the victims are up to 13 years old.
On Friday (June 14) it was the turn of the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, who said that the Government is against it and does not intend to endorse the proposal.
“Don’t count on the government to change abortion legislation in the country, especially for a project that establishes that a raped woman will receive a sentence twice as long as that of the rapist. Don’t count on the government for this barbarity”, he declared.
Read all statements:
- Paulo Pimenta (Reconstruction RS):
- Márcio Macêdo (General Secretariat of the Presidency):
- Nísia Trindade (Health):
- Luciana Santos (Science, Technology and Innovation):
- Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change):
- Margareth Menezes (Culture):
- Simone Tebet (Planning):
- Esther Dweck (Management and Innovation in Public Services):
- Anielle Franco (Racial Equality):
- Sonia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples):
PL “ANTIABORT”
The urgency of project it was approved in a symbolic vote – when there is no identification or counting of the votes of the deputies. Without being announced, the quick vote took place in 23 seconds.
Currently, abortion can be performed in cases provided for by law, characterized by 3 situations:
- risk to the mother’s life;
- rape;
- and pregnancy with an anencephalic fetus.
However, in all 3 cases there is no gestational age limit for terminating the pregnancy.
The bill being processed in the Chamber of Deputies establishes that women are penalized with up to 20 years in prisonwhile, In cases of rape, the penalty is up to 10 years in prison in current legislation.
Furthermore, the text also establishes that, even if the pregnancy is the result of rape, termination will not be permitted if the fetus is considered “viable”, that is, capable of surviving outside the uterus.
According to data released by the Brazilian Yearbook of Public Security 2023, in 2022, Brazil had the highest number of records of rape and rape of vulnerable people in history, with 74,930 victims. Of these, 6 in 10 victims are vulnerable aged 0 to 13. Here’s the complete of the study (PDF – 10 MB).
With the urgency approved, the proposal can be voted directly by the plenary, without needing to be discussed in the thematic committees of the Lower House. PL interlocutors say that the text can be approved by more than 300 votes.
The approval of the urgency led to criticism and protests in the country’s capitals and on social media, including against Arthur Lira. After the negative repercussion, the deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ), said that he will propose in the text a 20-year increase in the crime of rape.
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