Belgium may expand abortion, but abortion industry says it's not enough

Belgium's justice minister Annelies Verlinden has announced plans to expand the nation's current abortion law from 12 weeks to 14 weeks, with allowances up to 18 weeks in cases of rape. However, the minister rejected "expert" advice to increase the limit overall to 18 weeks, leading one abortionist to call the limited expansion "a shame."

Key Takeaways:

• Belgium's justice minister has proposed expanding the abortion limit from 12 weeks to 14 weeks.

• The proposal would also allow rape victims to abort up to 18 weeks, and would reduce the mandatory waiting period.

• The proposal is an attempt to compromise between various political groups, rejecting an "expert" panel's 2023 recommendation to expand abortion generally to 18 weeks.

The Details:

Currently, Belgian law allows abortions up until 12 weeks after fertilization (14 week gestation/LMP). Verlinden has now introduced a draft law that would expand that time frame to 14 weeks after fertilization (16 weeks LMP), with children conceived as a result of rape allowed to be killed until 18 weeks (20 weeks LMP).

The proposal would also shorten a mandatory waiting period between the first visit with the abortionist and the actual abortion appointment from the current six days to just two.

The Brussels Times reports that Verlinden's bill is an attempt to compromise between various political ideologies in the country. “For me, the limit is 14 weeks. I will not negotiate beyond that, nor entertain political bargaining,” she said.

According to Belga News Agency, the proposal will next be discussed by the government before being sent to Parliament.

Abortionist Dr. Anne Verougstraete, part of a group of "experts" who gave abortion recommendations in 2023 to the government, told the Times:

"It is a shame... We agreed on a minimum limit of 18 weeks after conception, and we wanted to do away with the mandatory waiting period. But even before the report was published, CD&V made it clear they would not go beyond 14 weeks." 

Zoom In:

Though the proposal would expand the current abortion law, pro-abortion advocates are unhappy, claiming it doesn't go far enough.

Abortionist Dr. Anne Verougstraete, who advocated for legalized abortion at later stages, suggested that the abortion industry's goal is to "help" women who currently travel to the Netherlands for abortion:

"It is a shame... We agreed on a minimum limit of 18 weeks after conception, and we wanted to do away with the mandatory waiting period. But even before the report was published, CD&V made it clear they would not go beyond 14 weeks.

By extending the legal limit to 14 weeks, we would be able to help 22% of the women in Belgium who currently travel to the Netherlands for an abortion.

If we were to extend it to 18 weeks, that figure would rise to 74%."

In other words, the industry that kills preborn children for profit would like to see more o this business remain within Belgium.

Reality Check:

Though politicians will often aim to compromise on abortion law by implementing certain gestational limits or guidelines, there is no circumstance or age at which it is acceptable to take an innocent human life.

Abortion is the direct and intentional killing of the preborn child, through starvation, dismemberment, or poisoning.

Such actions cannot be morally acceptable at one stage of development and unacceptable at the next — it is always wrong to kill an innocent human being.