French deputies adopted a new reading on Thursday a socialist bill which extends the offense of obstructing voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion) to websites.
Following the mixed joint committee of January 24, which was not conclusive, the National Assembly adopted on second reading this Thursday the bill on the extension of the offense of obstructing voluntary interruption pregnancy (abortion) filed by the socialist group. The text adopted yesterday at the end of more than three hours of heated discussions will make it possible to effectively defend this fundamental right of women to dispose of their bodies against anything that may undermine its free exercise.
This text aims in particular to punish websites which, under cover of a neutral and objective presentation, are screens of anti-abortion groups. However, the manipulations, the distorted information delivered on sites which pass themselves off as neutral undermine the free choice of women. Indeed, these sites have only one goal: to make women feel guilty and to dissuade them from resorting to abortion.
2 years imprisonment and …
Thus, the text voted provides that will be punished by two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros. “ preventing or attempting to prevent practicing or learning “about abortion” by any means, including electronically or online “.
“In a national and international context of rising conservatisms and religious extremisms that want to organize the control of women, their bodies and their sexuality, the adoption of this text constitutes a new step forward to guarantee women the freedom to term of an unwanted pregnancy ”, declared Laurence Rossignol, Minister of Families, Children and Women’s Rights.
The last word in the Assembly at the end of February
In a statement, she added that “everywhere in the world, a bad wind is blowing on the rights and freedoms of women. The threat of a step backwards has never been so strong, for all and on all continents ”.
In France, all the groups in the Assembly voted for this text with the exception of that of the Republicans who considers that it “undermines freedom of expression” He has already announced that, as soon as it is finally adopted, he will file an appeal with the Constitutional Council.
This vote comes a few days after the demonstration, last Sunday in Paris, of several thousand opponents of abortion (50,000 according to the organizers, 11,000 according to the police headquarters). In the absence of agreement between the two chambers, the Senate will proceed on February 14 to a new reading of the law. If their differences persist, the National Assembly will have the last word during a final reading, just before the suspension of parliamentary work at the end of February.
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