Last Friday, in Argentina, Gynecologist Leandro Rodríguez Lastra, was condemned to 1 year and 2 months of suspended prison for committing the “crime” of saving two lives: mother and child. Likewise, he is banned from working in a public position during the period of 2 years and four months, due to the sentence he has received: “Non-compliance of public official’s duties”.
Everything began in 2017, when a pregnant 19 y.o. woman was administered with misoprostol by a feminist organization. Later, she arrived to the hospital with a 23-weeks pregnancy, in pain and high fever, at risk of death, and Dr. Rodríguez Lastra was able to stabilize her, saving her life.
The World Health Organization defines abortion as “an operation or procedure to terminate the pregnancy of a nonviable fetus”, which means a procedure performed before week 22. Therefore, if performed in this case, wouldn’t have been an abortion, but a pre-term birth. Since it was too risky for the baby to be born at such an early gestational age, they waited until week 35; then, the newborn was given in adoption.
So far, so good. But after the baby was born, a legislator denounced Dr. Rodriguez Lastra, and after a long trial he was condemned for saving the life of a woman and a child, who is already two years old today. Crazy, right?
Let’s keep praying for his absolution, and for all pro-life doctors who are being prosecuted nowadays.