Switzerland votes to legalise abortion

Switzerland voted in a referendum yesterday to legalise abortion, bringing legislation in line with current practice and most other European countries.

Final results showed 72.2 per cent of voters backed a proposal to allow abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy.

A rival proposal to ban abortion completely was rejected by 81.7 per cent. Participation was below 42 per cent.

Swiss law currently only allows pregnancy to be terminated if the mother's health is in danger. But no one has been prosecuted for undergoing or performing an abortion since 1988.

Government statistics estimate between 12,000 and 13,000 abortions are carried out every year.

Figures suggest one in nine pregnancies is currently terminated despite the risk of a prison sentence for the mother and doctor.

Justice Minister Ruth Metzler told a news conference in the capital Berne she had not expected the result to be so clear.

She said the referendum showed there was a consensus that women who decide to have an abortion take a responsible decision and should not be criminalised.

The vote sparked a heated debate in the Alpine country between anti-abortion and pro-choice campaigners.

Across Switzerland, the image of a baby emblasoned giant billboards. "Mama, thank you for not putting a limit on life" ran the slogan on the anti-abortion poster.

The government, which backed the abortion proposal, said 80 per cent of terminations were carried out between the sixth and 10th week.

But despite the liberal interpretation of the current law, dating from 1942, women seeking abortions in some smaller rural cantons still sometimes have to find a doctor in another canton.

Two of the 26 cantons - Valais in the west and Appenzell Innerrhoden in the east - rejected the proposal to relax abortion rules. But this will not prevent it from becoming law.

"I am happy that we have found a liberal and at the same time clever solution to a very difficult problem in Switzerland," said Socialist parliamentarian Barbara Haering who campaigned for the proposal.

But anti-abortion groups pledged to continue their fight. "We cannot come to terms with a reality that does not accept fundamental human rights. We will continue the fight," said Christoph Keel, spokesman for the "For Mother and Child" group that tabled the proposal for a complete ban.

The proposal was also opposed by the populist SVP and Christian democrat CVP parties, part of a broad coalition government with the liberal FDP and socialist SP.

"I deplore the outcome," said CVP president Philipp Staehelin, adding his party would continue to campaign for special advisory units for mothers considering abortion.

Under the new law, doctors and mothers still risk five years in jail if they break certain conditions.

The regulations stipulate a woman seeking an abortion for psychological reasons must undergo an interview.

Each canton will also designate the specialists and institutions which can perform an abortion.

In Switzerland's system of direct democracy many important changes to the law are voted on in referendums.

Abortion in one form or another is accepted in most of Europe, despite clear opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and other religious organisations.

The legal abortion period is 10 weeks in France, Italy, Greece, Denmark and Norway, 12 weeks in Germany, Belgium and Austria and 22 weeks in Britain, Spain and the Netherlands.

Abortion is banned in Portugal except in cases involving rape or where there are serious health concerns.

Ireland is the only European Union country where abortion is illegal, while on the island state of Malta both abortion and divorce are illegal.