A court in El Salvador has sentenced a teen rape survivor to 30 years in prison for a suspected abortion after she suffered a stillbirth, sparking condemnation from women’s rights activists.
Evelyn Hernandez, 19, was convicted of “aggravated homicide” on July 5 under the country’s tough abortion laws. According to local media, the defendant was convicted on the grounds that she did not get prenatal care.
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According to the defence, Hernandez said she did not know she was pregnant when she suffered severe abdominal pain and fainted in her bathroom. She was charged after the body of the fetus was found in a toilet.
After the decision, rights groups argued judges in the case did not take into account key medical information that proved the defendant’s innocence.
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El Salvador is just one of five countries where abortion is illegal in all cases. Under the country’s law, women can be charged with murder even if the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest or when the woman’s life is at risk.