In 2023, clandestine abortions are still being tested in Europe. It happened in Poland which, together with Malta, is the European state with the most stringent legislation on this matter. Since the adoption of the new legislation in 2021voluntary termination of pregnancy this is only allowed in cases of rape, incest, or serious health problems in the mother, and even in these cases it is often hindered by physicians’ fear of being sued. In fact, anyone who helps a woman get an abortion faces a prison sentence. And AND happeningactivist Justyna Wydzynska who was sentenced to 8 months of community service by a Warsaw court.
Wydzynska took a chance up to three years in prison for sending an abortion pill to a woman who was a victim of domestic violence. She herself seventeen years ago was in a similar situation. She had three children and was married to an abusive man: “My three children were afraid of their father,” she said. Republic explaining that she had decided to terminate her fourth pregnancy by taking an abortion pill. She has since become an activist and founded the Abortion Dream Team, which helps struggling women get abortions.
ADT activists usually work very carefully within the framework of Polish law. They give advice on ordering abortion pills in places like the Netherlands, where the drug can be bought legally. The case in which Vydzhinskaya was convicted was an exception. As told Guardian, a woman named Anya told Vydzhinskaya that she was pregnant and subjected to domestic violence.. Her husband did not allow her to go to Germany to have an abortion. The pregnancy progressed, and as the pandemic broke out in the meantime, getting pills from abroad became increasingly difficult. So Wydzynska sent her the pills he had at home. “The pills that I had for my own use and that I sent to Anya are the safest way to terminate a pregnancy in Poland at the moment,” she explained, “I didn’t want her to risk her life by taking dangerous steps and what a solution is simple and safe.” “Medically. I don’t feel guilty. Hearing the details of Anya’s situation in this courtroom only strengthened my belief that I had made the right choice.”
Source: Elle