United States: abortion soon banned in Arkansas in cases of incest or rape

The Republican governor of Arkansas announced that it will now be possible to have an abortion in this state only to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency.

The US state of Arkansas on Tuesday passed a law banning abortion even in cases of rape or incest, hoping to push the US Supreme Court to reverse its ruling, which in 1973 extended this right. to the whole country.

The only exception provided for in the text promulgated in this state, bordered by the Mississippi and known for its Christian conservatism is to save the life of the mother during a medical emergency announced its governor, Asa Hutchinson . He said he ratified the law because of his sincere beliefs against abortion.

The American population deeply divided

The text should not come into force before the summer and the powerful civil rights organization ACLU has already announced that it will challenge it in court. Abortion still strongly divides the American population, with opposition still very strong, especially in religious circles. For the past twenty years, the states of the south and the center of the country have increased the number of restrictive laws on abortion, for example imposing a width for the corridors leading to operating theaters, forcing many clinics to close their doors.

Changing case law with the Supreme Court

With this law in Arkansas , opponents of voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion) hope to push for a reversal of the United States Supreme Court which, in 1973, declared that American women had a right to abort. Such a turnaround would allow each state to do what it wants and would further increase territorial inequalities.

the governor of Arkansas said, the purpose of this law is to prepare the ground for the Supreme Court to overturn current case law.

The temple of American law has been firmly anchored to the right since the appointment by Donald Trump of a conservative judge, a few days before his defeat in the presidential election.