A woman in El Salvador has been jailed after being accused of stabbing her baby six times in an illegal abortion. The Central American country has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world, completely banning the procedure with no exceptions – not even when the pregnancy is a threat to the mother’s life. Lesly Ramírez, 21, lost her baby on June 17, 2020, when she was five months pregnant. She says she went home and felt “something come out of her.” Leslie tried to cut the umbilical cord herself, but her home had no power and the darkness meant she couldn’t see properly, the Citizens Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion said. Leslie, who was just 19 at the time, was rushed to hospital for treatment but was taken into custody just a week later. The hearing continued despite the young man being unwell to attend. Leslie was unable to attend her court hearing because she was still so unwell (Image: Centros Judiciales El Salvador) Activists believe the government has made up a story to criminalize Leslie (Image: Getty) Authorities accused Lesly of carrying the baby almost full-term and then stabbing him in the neck six times. The head of the Citizens’ Group, Morena Herrera, said: “This is not the first time that the prosecution has fabricated a story that completely criminalizes women.” Leslie was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 50 years in prison on Wednesday. The NGO, which plans to appeal the court’s verdict, said: “The legal process against Leslie was full of irregularities and prejudice.” Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
