Former President Alberto Fernández has been accused of coercing his partner into an abortion she didn’t want.
Fabiola Yáñez, Mr Fernández’s ex-partner, has accused the former president of domestic abuse and coercion, court documents reveal.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Fernández forced Ms Yáñez to have an abortion in 2016 – abortion in Argentina was illegal at the time. He is also accused of kicking her in the stomach in 2021 when she was pregnant again and living in the presidential residence as the first lady.
Mr Fernández, who was president of Argentina between 2019 and 2023, denies any wrongdoing.
Abortion up to 14 weeks was legalised in Argentina in 2020. Until then, abortion was permitted in cases of rape or when the mother’s life was said to be at risk. Mr Fernández pledged to legalise abortion during his presidential campaign.
Javier Milei, the current president of Argentina who assumed office in 2023, has promised a referendum to repeal Argentina’s abortion law. His vice president, Victoria Villarruel, is an outspoken pro-life advocate who has publicly affirmed the “right to life, because life begins at conception”.
In 2022, a Savanta ComRes survey for the BBC found that 15% of British women (aged 18-44) were pressured into an abortion that they didn’t want.
A woman named Carly, speaking on BBC Radio 1, said: “I think when you are in that situation, you don’t necessarily identify yourself as a victim, you kind of brush it off. It becomes so normalised that people don’t take it seriously.”
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “Abortion coercion is a horrific and all too common reality for women in the UK and elsewhere. Far from being about choice, abortion is often forced on mothers by an aggressive partner or family member.
“Domestic abuse and abortion are inherently violent acts, and it’s not a surprise that they intersect since they are part of the same brutalisation of society. Women are just as much a victim of this as unborn babies. Society must protect mothers from these abuses of power.”
Similar stories
15% of UK women coerced into abortions, “devastating” survey shows
Argentine Catholic bishops condemn “untenable and inappropriate” abortion bill
Vice President-Elect of Argentina heralds “new era” for pro-life movement as she seeks repeal of “disastrous” 2020 abortion law