| Abstract [eng] |
An abortion is a deliberate termination of pregnancy due to medical, social or personal indications. It is a removal or expulsion of a fetus from the uterus induced by surgical, chemical, or other means. A legal abortion can be performed only in healthcare institution and only by a doctor who has the right to perform such operations in Lithuania. An abortion that is performed elsewhere (an illegal abortion) can cause a lot of extra complications for a pregnant woman. In most European countries same as in Lithuania a pregnancy can be aborted only until the twelfth week of gestation and an illegal abortion is criminalized. The work deals with the problem of the beginning of the protection of right to life of human fetus while not disputing this question would make impossible to understand the reasons why such a view on abortion punishability is common in Lithuania and foreign countries. An analysis of elements of illegal abortion according to Lithuanian laws is made and the punishability of abortion in foreign countries is described. There is no one opinion on abortion punishability matter, therefore the objective of the work was to overview as many countries as possible and to give the dominant opinion. In many countries where an abortion is legalized the elements of an illegal abortion is similar. However, in some of them a pregnant woman who asks or consents to the termination of pregnancy is considered as a subject of the crime. Maybe using the practice of foreign countries should be discussed and a pregnant woman should be considered as a subject of this crime in Lithuanian laws. |
