Political party says Germany should keep its ban on advertising abortions

By Catholic News Service

BERLIN (CNS) -- The Alternative for Germany party is urging the government to keep the ban on advertising abortions, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA.

In a motion debated in parliament late April 27 evening, the party said if the government eliminated Section 219a of the German criminal code, it would go against the constitutional mandate to "maintain and raise in the public's general awareness of the unborn life's legal right to protection."

This protection would not exist if abortions were "advertised without regard to the independent right to life of unborn children or trivialized as a supposedly normal medical service," the motion submitted by the party stated.

Section 219a prohibits offering, announcing or advertising abortions for financial gain, or doing so in a grossly offensive manner.

Under current law, abortions are illegal in Germany, but remain exempt from punishment under certain conditions.

In March, Germany's new coalition government decided to abolish the ban on abortion advertising. The German bishops' conference has criticized the decision.

Beatrix von Storch, a lawmaker for the Alternative for Germany party, countered the government's argument that there was not enough easily accessible information about abortion options. The list of abortion doctors published by the Federal Medical Association has 74 pages and could be found online with three clicks, Storch said.

She added there was no lack of information about abortion, but about the dignity of unborn life.