Spain law bans harassment of women entering abortion clinics

Spain will be implementing a new law that would ban the intimidation or harassment of women entering abortion clinics. The law will be published by the Government Gazette within the next week.

According to NPR, the law was passed by parliament and endorsed by the Senate on Wednesday. The Senate voted 154 to 105 to change the penal code in Spain.

Abortions in Spain are free through the 14th week of pregnancy. These changes would mean that anyone who harasses a women going into an abortion clinic will be committing a crime.

This crime would be punishable by up to a year in prison. The government, led by the center-left Socialist government, proposed the law last year. Lawmakers approved it in September. The National Association of Accredited Clinics for Pregnancy Termination says that more than 100 cases of harassment are reported at clinics every year.

Anti-abortion groups have said their gatherings outside of abortion clinics were organized to pray and help women. These changes have been opposed by right-leaning political groups (ABC News). The legislation will criminalize protests outside of abortion clinics.