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Puerto Rico governor signs law to recognize fetus as human being as critics warn of consequences
The law, named after murder victim Keishla Rodríguez, could affect medical care and legal treatment of pregnant women, raising concerns from doctors about criminalizing clinical decisions.
- Senate Bill 923, the Keishla Madlane Law, was signed on Thursday by Puerto Rico governor, amending the Penal Code to recognize unborn babies as human beings.
- The government said the change aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions after Senate Bill 504, which recognized the unborn child's legal personality from conception, was signed last December.
- Supporters hailed the move as a victory for mothers and babies, with pro-life advocacy organizations praising Senate Bill 923 for enabling parents to claim protections and benefits for the unborn.
- Dr. Carlos Díaz Vélez said the amendment could lead to defensive health care, force private doctors to refuse complicated pregnancies, and expose clinicians to legal risk as clinical decisions enter criminal law.
- Abortion has been legal in Puerto Rico since 1937, yet the amendment was approved without public hearings amid opponents' concerns and is named for Keishla Madlane Rodríguez Ortiz, whose killer Félix Verdejo received two life sentences.
109 Articles
109 Articles
Puerto Rico enacts law defining unborn children as human beings
On Thursday, Gov. Jenniffer González signed Senate Bill 923, an amendment to the territory’s Penal Code that alters the legal definition of a “human being” to include an unborn child at any stage of gestation.
This measure is Administration Project A-098, which the governor sent to the Legislature on January 12.
Puerto Rico Law Protects Unborn Children
The Puerto Rican governor has signed a bill amending the territory’s Penal Code to recognize the unborn at any stage, including conception, as a human being. Governor Jenniffer González-Colón, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 923 on February 12. “The legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the conceived, unborn child as a human being,” she said in a statement. The amendment aligns with a law …
National Catholic Register
catholicworldreport.comPuerto Rico’s Penal Code Recognizes Unborn Babies as Human Beings
The measure was an initiative of Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colón, a Republican, shown here with her 1-year-old son, José. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colón signed into law on Feb. 12 a bill amending the penal code to recognize unborn babies as human beings at ‘any stage of gestation.’
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