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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Dutch Reject Late-Term Abortions
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in the Netherlands hold very strong views on pregnancy termination, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. 64 per cent of respondents think an abortion in the first 12 weeks of gestation should be admissible in all circumstances, but only 17 per cent consent to allowing the procedure after more than 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion is legal in the Netherlands "on demand" after a compulsory five-day waiting period which includes counselling. The procedure can only take place within the first 24 weeks of gestation.
On Dec. 6, Marianne de Jong—a prosecutor in the central city of Den Bosch—revealed that an unnamed 24-year-old Dutch woman had been arrested in November for allegedly having an illegal abortion in Spain when she was 24-weeks pregnant. De Jong said the woman was "suspected of having an illegal abortion in Barcelona" and explained she would be prosecuted for infanticide. In Spain, abortions can only be carried out during the first 22 weeks of gestation.
On Dec. 12, the woman was discharged from prison after four weeks following a decision by a judge in The Hague. The Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office said it did not oppose her release, but warned that the investigation into her case would continue.
Polling Data
Do you think an abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy should be admissible in all circumstances?
|
Yes |
64% |
|
No |
30% |
|
Not sure |
6% |
A Dutch woman recently had an abortion in Spain after more than 24 weeks of pregnancy. Do you think an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy is admissible?
|
Yes |
17% |
|
No |
70% |
|
Not sure |
13% |
Source: Maurice de Hond
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 Dutch adults, conducted on Dec. 8, 2007. No margin of error was provided.