El Salvador's abortion ban violates women's rights, court rules
- In 2013, Beatriz was diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy and advised by doctors to terminate it.
- El Salvador's strict abortion laws complicated her access to necessary medical care, resulting in a court appeal that was denied.
- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that El Salvador violated Beatriz's rights, ordering reparations and calling for systemic changes.
Beatriz, a Salvadoran woman suffering from lupus and other health complications, faced a dire situation in 2013 when she became pregnant with an anencephalic fetus. Doctors strongly recommended terminating her pregnancy due to the severe risks to her health; however, El Salvador's strict prohibition on abortion prevented them from performing the procedure. Beatriz's appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected, leading to a cesarean section in June 2013 where her baby died shortly after birth. Unfortunately, Beatriz passed away in a traffic accident in 2017, yet the court concluded that there was no direct link between her medical care during her last pregnancy and her later death. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ultimately found the Salvadoran government culpable for neglecting its duty to ensure relevant judicial and medical protections for Beatriz, highlighting systemic failures in addressing high-risk pregnancies within the country's abortion legislation. The court ordered reparations totaling $75,000 for Beatriz's family, underscoring the profound implications of this ruling for women's rights and healthcare in El Salvador, signaling the need for systemic changes regarding legal frameworks and medical protocols in cases involving similar circumstances. As a result, the court urged the Salvadoran government to implement appropriate guidelines to prevent future occurrences of obstetric violence and safeguard the rights of women facing similar tragedies in high-risk situations.