Rape victim in El Salvador facing prison Time to rescue Latin America from draconian abortion laws in every country

Young woman in El Salvador was sexually abused by her stepfather since the age of 12, impregnated by him at age 18, facing up to 20 years in prison after being accused of attempted murder due to her country's strict abortion laws, even though she says she didn't try to have an abortion,

Cortez has been in custody since April of last year after she'd been rushed to the ER bleeding profusely and in pain; a doctor at the hospital suspected she'd tried to induce an abortion, which is banned in all circumstances in El Salvador. It turns out Cortez, who said she didn't even know she was pregnant, had given birth to a baby girl, who was found safe and healthy by cops.

Cortez's case underscores the plight that young, poor women in El Salvador face, with an abortion law that doesn't allow for one even in cases of rape, when the mother's life is in danger, or when the fetus isn't viable. Some women have been convicted even when they've had a miscarriage or stillbirth. "By shackling these women to hospital beds and sending them to prison, it sends a strong message: If you're poor, it's not safe to seek health care," a human rights lawyer says. As for Cortez, she's "despondent," her lawyer tells Reuters: "Her case could go either way. But if the judge is objective and looks at the evidence, Imelda should be set free." Her criminal trial starts Monday. ...........

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