ICONIC STORIES

SARA

Sara always wanted to be a mother. However, one afternoon while she was hand-washing clothes to earn money for her school fees, she suffered an accident that caused an obstetric emergency and left her unconscious, causing her to lose her pregnancy. She was only 18 years old.

She woke up in the emergency room, without news of her daughter’s health, and deprived of her liberty. She was unfairly prosecuted and convicted of aggravated homicide and sentenced to more than 30 years in prison in a trial that lacked all procedural guarantees.

In prison, separated from her family, she had to abandon her dreams of creating a better life for herself, starting a family, and completing a degree in nursing. Yet, she never gave up the hope of being free again.

“It was something very difficult because I realized so many things being a prisoner. All of my dreams were stolen from me, I wasn’t able to know where my daughter was, and to finish school. I had to be away from my parents and I had never been separated from them, or from my brothers.”

Thanks to the joint work of the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion and other international organizations, Sara regained her freedom in 2022 and is resuming her life with her family.

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KENIA

Kenia was 17 years old and living in an impoverished and remote area of ​​El Salvador when, in the middle of the night, she gave birth alone in her home. The newborn was not breathing, so Kenya searched for a phone signal to call the police for help.

However, when she returned, the baby was lifeless. When the police arrived at the scene, they arrested Kenya despite her critical health condition. She was later subjected to an arbitrary trial in which she was presumed to be guilty from the start and never had an opportunity to properly defend herself.

Unjustly condemned, Kenia had to leave behind her sick father, her loved ones and had to end her studies. She never gave up fighting, hoping that the truth would be known, and that one day she would receive the justice she deserved.

“I had an emergency and there was no one to help me. I had to give birth by myself, had no experience and didn’t know what to do.”

Thanks to the joint work of the Agrupación Ciudadana para la Despenalización del Aborto and other international organizations, Kenya regained her freedom in 2022 and is resuming her life with her family.

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BERTA

Berta grew up in a rural area between the border of El Salvador and Guatemala. In 2013, when she was just 20 years old, Berta had an obstetric emergency and gave birth without any help. Due to the pain and her poor health, Berta lost consciousness. When she awoke, she was arrested by the police and separated from her newborn daughter.

She was processed without the assistance of a lawyer and convicted of attempted aggravated homicide for failing to give birth in a hospital or clinic. When she was arrested, she did not have the proper public documentation, a common situation for people living on the border. This particular situation meant that she did not have opportunities to defend herself in court and prevented her from accessing different criminal benefits.

More than 9 years have passed and Berta has yet to meet her daughter. However, she does not lose hope of seeing her grow up and building a beautiful family.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXJapaLRhUM 

IMELDA

Imelda was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for an obstetric emergency. Her grandfather had raped her, threatened her with violence, and convinced her that he could not have children, so Imelda was not aware of her pregnancy.

Imelda felt severe pain in her stomach, so she went to the outdoor bathroom that was near her house, and she gave birth without knowing. Her daughter survived, but Imelda lost consciousness and once she recovered, she was handcuffed to the stretcher in the emergency room. Imelda was separated from her family and later accused in a criminal proceeding.

After a long process without procedural guarantees or due process, Imelda was sent to prison, where she was never allowed to meet her daughter.

Thanks to the joint work of the Agrupación Ciudadana para la Despenalización del Aborto and other international organizations, Imelda regained her freedom in 2018, and was finally able to meet and obtain custody of her daughter.

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EVELYN

Evelyn was only 21 years old when she was charged with aggravated homicide due to an obstetric emergency. Her mother took her to the hospital in critical conditions and instead of receiving care, she was accused of false suspicions that resulted in criminal proceedings against her.

Sentenced to 30 years in prison for not having a perfect pregnancy, Evelyn was imprisoned for several years until her case was reviewed by a second judge, which resulted in a retrial, since the Attorney General’s Office had not proven her guilt or the facts on which the accusation was based.

Evelyn was declared innocent of all the charges in 2019, thanks to the joint work of the Agrupación Ciudadana para la Despenalización del Aborto and other international organizations.

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