Freiburg: Protests against abortion as a criminal offense

Under the motto “Legal, simple and fair – for a new regulation of abortion in Germany” around 50 people gathered on the square of the Old Synagogue in Freiburg on Saturday afternoon. They demand safe and legal access to abortions and the abolition of Section 218 in the Criminal Code. The “Wegmit§218” alliance in Freiburg had called for a protest. The occasion was “Safe Abortion Day” on September 28th, when thousands of people took to the streets.

Liberalization of abortion rights called for

“My body, my choice” – just one of many slogans on the posters and banners of the demonstrators in Freiburg. With the day of action, the “Wegmit§218” alliance drew attention to the difficult situation of unintentionally pregnant women. They would be abandoned and criminalized by society. Paragraph 218 causes fear and shame among women who want to terminate their pregnancy. The “Wegmit§218” alliance campaigned for more self-determination as part of the demonstration. Women should be allowed to decide their own lives. In addition, there should be more doctors who perform abortions and are not stigmatized by Paragraph 218. Pre-abortion counseling should be voluntary instead of a mandatory appointment.

Regulations for abortion are controversial

The following applies so far: Anyone who becomes pregnant unintentionally in Germany and wants to have an abortion is committing a criminal offense according to Section 218 of the Criminal Code. Abortions are generally prohibited, but remain unpunished if they occur within the first three months of pregnancy and the pregnant woman seeks counseling. Various groups have been discussing the abolition of the paragraph for years.

Expert Commission: Decriminalize abortions

A commission set up by the federal government recommended reforming abortion law in the spring. The panel recommended that abortions be allowed in the early stages of pregnancy and no longer be regulated in criminal law. The federal government left it open whether it plans to change the law during the current legislative period. It strives for a broad social and parliamentary consensus.

Abortion
Abortion – what do I need to know?

Paragraph 219a – the ban on advertising for abortions – has long been controversial. Now the cabinet has initiated its abolition. However, abortions generally remain a criminal offense in Germany. Under what conditions are they permitted? What methods are there? SWR Wissen has researched.

Abortions are not possible everywhere

According to a current study, Baden-Württemberg also performs poorly in a nationwide comparison when it comes to abortion services. “In 85 of 400 districts, the criteria for adequate accessibility are not met,” wrote the ELSA research association in April about the situation in Germany. Of the 85 districts, eight are in Baden-Württemberg. Things look similarly difficult in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia – Bavaria is even worse off. The research network includes, among others, the University of Ulm and the Social Science Research Institute for Gender Issues Freiburg. The researchers define reasonable accessibility as 40 minutes by car.

According to the State Statistical Office, a total of 10,531 abortions were carried out in Baden-Württemberg in 2023 – 9,923 of them according to the consultation regulation in the first trimester.