Upgrade: The first surveys are confirmed. 66% of the Irish voted in favor of reforming the Constitution to allow the termination of pregnancy.According to the first polls on the ballot box, voters of the referendum held yesterday in Ireland would have given broad support to liberalize current abortion legislation, one of the most restrictive regulations in Europe.
In a predominantly Catholic and conservative country, if the surveys were confirmed, it would be a historical result represents a change of mentality of Irish society. The majority of voters have been women and youth.
What was voted in the referendum?
The Irish electorate had to rule on whether to maintain or modify the Eighth Amendment to the constitution, which only allows abortion in exceptional circumstances, such as when the mother's life is in danger, which includes the threat of suicide (amendment approved in 2013), but does not contemplate cases of incest, rape or malformations of the fetus.
They travel abroad to abort
Since 2014, they have been carried out 77 legal abortions in Ireland, which does not mean that only that number of women have aborted.
An estimated 3,500 women travel to the United Kingdom a year to abort (there is legal until 24 weeks gestation) and 2,000 women illegally acquire abortion pills on the Internet, risking jail sentences.
Voluntary termination of pregnancy is a very controversial issue. Whenever there is a change in the legislation of any country (as happened in Spain in 2013), a great controversy over ethical dilemmas surrounding abortion
A historical change
The final results of the referendum, which has had a great citizen participation, will be known by Saturday afternoon, but everything indicates that Ireland is facing a historical change in terms of abortion regulation in that country.
If yes, Parliament must pass new legislation. The draft proposal presented contemplates the Legal abortion for all women in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and up to 24 weeks if the mother's life or health were at risk or if the fetus could not survive outside the mother's body. With this modification, Irish regulations would match those of the main European countries.
