Madrid, Spain, Apr 7, 2022 / 15:00 pm
Spain’s Senate voted Wednesday in favor of a bill amending the country’s penal code to criminalize “harassment” of women entering abortion clinics.
The bill was passed without any changes April 6 by a vote of 154-105. It had already been approved by the Congress of Deputies in February. The law will go into effect when it is published in the Official State Bulletin, which is expected this weekend.
The measure was introduced in May 2021 by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party’s coalition. It will criminalize "harassing women going to clinics for the voluntary interruption of pregnancy." Anyone promoting, favoring, or participating in demonstrations near abortion clinics will be subject to penalties.
Penalties for what is deemed harassment include jail terms of three months to a year, or community service from 31 to 80 days. Depending on circumstances, an individual can also be barred from a particular location for between six months and three years.