January-February 2021 – Poland’s high court ruled on October 22 to strike down one of the few exceptions to its 1993 abortion law. While it still allows abortion in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the mother’s life, the ruling now protects the lives of in utero babies with congenital defects. The decision carries considerable weight, as most of Poland’s 1,110 legal abortions performed in 2019 were blamed on fetal defects.
More than 90% of Poland’s citizens identify as Roman Catholic, so abortion activists went on attack against Catholic Church leaders, disrupting church services and making posters of crucified pregnant women to hang outside churches. Rioting continued for weeks and included vandalizing buildings, blocking streets, chanting profanities, and initiating violence against police officers.
