Salvadoran woman accused of trying to abort rapist's baby freed
Imelda Cortez was freed after judge acquitted her of lesser charges in a case that tested country's strict abortion ban.
by Anna-Cat Brigida
Dec 17, 2018
A Salvadoran rape survivor accused of attempting to abort her abuser's baby was released on Monday after a judge found her not guilty on reduced charges in a case that tested the country's strict enforcement of a total ban on abortion.
Twenty-year-old Imelda Cortez became pregnant in 2016 after years of being raped by her 70-year-old stepfather. In April 2017, she gave birth to a baby girl in the toilet. At the time, she did not know she was pregnant, Cortez said. When she went to the hospital, a doctor accused her attempting to have an abortion and reported her to authorities.