Tbilisi. The Parliament of Georgia has tightened punishment for illegal abortions - a violator will face community service from 120 to 300 hours, or up to two years of imprisonment.
Relevant amendments to the Criminal Code of Georgia will enter into force on October 21. Under the law in effect, the punishment for illegal abortion is community service from 100 to 240 hours.
As for the repetitive offence, as well as abortion that has resulted in the loss of reproduction, under the amendment, an offender shall face up to five years in prison. At present, the maximum sentence in this case is up to three years in prison.
Also increases penalties for illegal abortion, resulting in death of man - up to six years in prison, instead of five, according to the current law.
The amendments were adopted by the Parliament of Georgia due to the increasing number of abortions in the country. According to Dmitri Khundadze, the Chairman of the Parliament's Health and Social Affairs Committee, every third woman in Georgia artificially terminates pregnancy.