Crux
ROME – Although Italy claims to have one of the most sophisticated abortion laws in the world, what it apparently doesn’t have are doctors willing to perform them.
Law 194, signed in 1978 and approved by popular referendum in 1981 over the Church’s stern opposition, allows for the woman wishing to have an abortion to do so within the first 90 days of pregnancy. It also created public counseling facilities for the purpose of providing women with alternatives to abortion.
One of the main aspects of law 194 is that it permits doctors to be conscientious objectors and therefore refuse to terminate a pregnancy. What makes Italy unique is that an overwhelming majority of doctors fall under this category. On average, seven out of ten doctors are conscientious objectors. . . [Full text]
The claim that the protection of conscience clause in the law was intended to prevent abortion rather than to ensure freedom of conscience, if true, is indicative of an abuse of legal process. For commentary based on Italian language sources, see Dr. Angelo Bottone, “ Anti-conscientious objection article in Irish Times very misleading.”