In the Kaliningrad region, fines have been introduced for coercing women to have abortions. The Legislative Assembly deputies approved the draft of the regional law, reports TASS.
The bill was developed following a request from the Children's Rights Commissioner in the Kaliningrad region, Irina Tkachenko. Actions considered as coercion to terminate a pregnancy include persuading and deceiving a woman into having an abortion. However, it is noted that a doctor informing a woman about her health condition and medical indications for an abortion does not constitute coercion.
Furthermore, deputies supported amendments to the Kaliningrad region's Code on Administrative Offenses. The penalty for violation will range from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles for individuals, from 10,000 to 20,000 rubles for officials, and from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles for legal entities.
Additionally, the Kaliningrad region has started preparations to ban abortions in private clinics.
Earlier, the head of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women, and Children, Nina Ostanina, spoke against the idea of introducing criminal liability for coercing abortions. In her view, doctors are not responsible for the decline in birth rates. This is a complex issue, she explained, and solutions should not be limited to banning abortions.
