Swiss Vote to Legalize Abortion

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, June 03, 2002

Swiss Vote to Legalize Abortion

A substantial majority of Swiss voted on Sunday in favor of legalizing abortion, bringing laws into line with most of Europe.

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A substantial majority of Swiss voted on Sunday in favor of legalizing abortion, bringing laws into line with most of Europe.

The result means abortion will now be permitted within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, harmonizing the legislation with current practice, which effectively allows abortion on demand.

Swiss Radio International (SRI) reported that until now Switzerland has had some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe along with the Irish Republic, Poland and Portugal.

By Sunday's vote, the Swiss have finally caught up with countries like France and Italy, which introduced liberal abortion laws in the 1970s. Germany and Austria also allow the practice, although counseling is mandatory before a woman can have a termination of pregnancy.

A counter-proposal to tighten Switzerland's 1942 law, which banned the practice unless a women's health was at risk, was thrown out.

Analysts say Sunday's vote points to a sea change in attitudes among Switzerland's Catholics.

SRI reported that on Sunday, most of the country's Catholic cantons voted in favor of legalizing abortion, with only Valais in the south and the tiny central canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes voting against. In previous votes, Catholic cantons rejected any loosening of the law.

Sunday's ballot was the fourth vote on abortion in Switzerland since 1977. All previous attempts to either tighten or ease regulations on a nationwide level have failed to win a majority.

Switzerland's abortion rate is among the lowest of any developed country. Nearly half of all abortions are carried out on women over the age of 30, while teenage pregnancies account for about 10 percent of termination.

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