Teodora Vasquez(32) has now served 8 years in prison for a stillbirth and she needs YOUR help!
El Salvador,2017
In summer 2007, Teodora Vasquez was at work and suddenly felt a strong pain in her stomage. The pains got even stronger and she calls an ambulance, after this she fainted and while uncouncious she gave birth to a stillborn child. The backstory of this is that Teodora was attacked on the street by unknown men, one of them punched her in her stomage.
One of Teodoras collegues then contacts police that arrests her under suspicion of provoking an abortion. The charge is 'aggravated homicide'.
Teodora Vazquez already had a son who was four years old when she was imprisoned. He is now a teenager. According to sister Cecilia Vasquez, Teodora was looking forward to having her second child.
- She was so happy. She bought toys, diapers and clothes and asked me to help her look at the new baby so she could keep working. I thought if I just explained this to the judge, he would realize she wanted the child, but I never got the chance.
El Salvador
Although the country's maximum imprisonment sentence for abortion is eight years at least 17 women is imprisoned for up to 40 years after having been through a miscarriage or death. These women are charged with killing their own children.
There has been a total ban on any type of abortion in El Salvador since 1997 this includes cases where the cause of pregnancy is rape or incest and where there is a danger to mother's life and health.
Amnesty
The issue of Teodora Vasquez has raised strong international reactions. She has now applied to resume the case in court, where she will meet on December 8th.
A group from Amnesty International has demanded that she be released, and has launched an international campaign to demand that the abortion legislation to be reformed.
"Teodora is an example of how the total ban on abortion affects poor women without resources in a completely absurd and deeply unfair manner," said Patricia Kaatee, political adviser in Amnesty.
Communication advisor Lene Christensen from Amnesty International Norway is present in San Salvador and following the trial which has been postponed till 13. december. She followup the family and the case.
Human Rights
The following articles of human rights are broken:
Article 5: No person shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 7: All are equal to the law and are entitled to the same protection of the law without discrimination. Everyone is entitled to the same protection against discrimination in violation of this statement and against any request for such discrimination.
What can you do?
Sign this: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/urge-el-salvador-end-ban-abortion
Share this distress signal: https://www.iamlistening.org - On this link you can also share on Facebook & Twitter.
Danish:
https://amnesty.dk/reag%C3%A9r/lifeline/lifeline-sager-2016/el-salvador-teodora
Norwegian:
https://www.amnesty.no/teodora
Video about Teodora by Amnesty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3pzpkZ09C0
This article is also available here:
https://godless.no/30-years-in-prison-for-stillbirth/