Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Brazil judge probed for banning abortion for child rape victim

Brazil judge probed for banning abortion for child rape victim

Abortions are illegal in Brazil except in cases of rape or if the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life.

Brazil’s judicial watchdog has launched an investigation into a judge who blocked an 11-year-old rape victim from having an abortion.

Judicial and human rights groups had called on the country’s National Council of Justice to investigate Santa Catarina state Judge Joana Ribeiro Zimmer after her decision was reported last week by The Intercept Brasil.

Video of a May 9 hearing showed Zimmer asking the child whether she understood how pregnancies happen. The judge referred to the rapist as “the father of the baby” and asked the girl to “hold on a little more” to save it.

The girl repeatedly said she did not want to give birth, the video showed.

A lawyer representing the girl told The Associated Press news agency she was 10 years old when she was raped, but turned 11 before she realised she was pregnant. That was in the 22nd week of pregnancy.

The child’s mother took her to a hospital in the city of Florianopolis to get an abortion, but doctors said they could perform the procedure only up to the 20th week of pregnancy, lawyer Daniela Felix said.




The family took the case to court within days, where Zimmer not only refused to allow the abortion but isolated the girl from her family in a state shelter, she said.

In a statement, Zimmer said that she “will not speak about parts of the hearing, which were illegally leaked”. She also said she will remain silent about the case “to assure the due and full protection to the child”.

While the country’s health ministry recommends abortions be only up to the 20th to 22nd week, Felix and other lawyers have argued that the law itself makes no mention of a limit on when an abortion can be performed. Abortions in the country are only legal in cases of rape or when a woman’s life is in danger, with both women and doctors facing imprisonment for having or performing the procedure in other cases.

In 2020, the health ministry created new rules that require doctors to report to police anyone who seeks an abortion after being raped, regardless of the survivor’s wishes. The regulations also require medical workers to show rape survivors an ultrasound of the fetus before a legal abortion.

Abortion rights are expected to be a major issue in the upcoming presidential elections in Brazil, in which far-right President Jair Bolsonaro will face off against left-wing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro and da Silva have already argued about abortion rights this year. Da Silva said on April 6 that anyone should be allowed to get an abortion, a position that drew criticism from the president and many Evangelical supporters in his political base.

“For him, to abort a child or remove a tooth is the same thing,” Bolsonaro said.




Da Silva then backtracked, saying days later that he is against abortions but still believes women should be allowed the choice as a matter of public health.

On Twitter, Andrew Stroehlein, European media director for Human Rights Watch, drew a connection between the the 11-year-old girl’s case in Brazil and a pending Supreme Court ruling in the United States, which is expected to lead to the overturning of Roe v Wade, a landmark ruling that legalised abortion across the country.

“This is the kind of rights-abusing madness the US can look forward to,” he wrote.

The overturning of Roe v Wade could lead to near-immediate abortion bans in as many as 22 states.

In Brazil, about 500,000 illegal abortions are estimated to be conducted a year, according to a 2019 study published in the Lancet.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×