A law sanctioned by the government of Goiás to “raise awareness against abortion” forces pregnant women to listen to the fetal heartbeat. The text, authored by former state deputy Fred Rodrigues (DC), now impeached, brings a series of determinations to establish the “Awareness Campaign against Abortion for Women in the State of Goiás”.
The most controversial section of the law, sanctioned last Thursday (11/1), says that the State must provide the mother with an ultrasound examination containing the heartbeat of the unborn child. Law No. 22,537/2024 came into force on the date of publication, but the text does not make it clear when hospitals will start forcing pregnant women to listen to the fetal heart, stating that the measure will be provided “as soon as possible” .
The legislation also establishes the date of August 8 as State Awareness Day against Abortion, provides for “lectures on the issue of abortion” and seminars, mobilizations and other activities on the “rights of the unborn child, the right to life and criminal charges in the case of illegal abortion.”
In another section, the law establishes the State’s obligation to “stimulate private initiative and NGOs” to recommend “maintaining the life of the unborn child” to pregnant women who express a desire to abort.
The legislation adopted in Brazil on the subject dates back to 1940. According to article 128, items I and II of the Penal Code, abortion can be carried out when the pregnancy poses a risk to the woman’s life and in cases of rape/sexual violence .
On social networks, former deputy Fred Rodrigues celebrated the approval of the text, saying that the sanction makes “Goiás the safest state in Brazil for children in their mother’s womb”. Fred was revoked by the Regional Electoral Court of GO (TRE-GO) in December 2023, after verification of outstanding accountability in the 2020 elections, when he ran for councilor in Goiânia.
Recurring controversy
It is not the first time that the topic of abortion and legislation has caused controversy in Goiás. In 2012, the Anápolis City Council approved the removal of article 228 of the Organic Law of the Municipality (Loma), which provided for the performance of abortions in cases provided for by law, by public hospitals, seeking to exempt the health network from carrying out the procedure.
The section of the Brazilian Bar Association in Goiás went to court against the rule, understanding that it violated the Constitution. The Court of Justice of GO (TJGO) agreed and determined that, in the cases provided for in the Brazilian Penal Code and the Constitution, the municipality fulfills the duty to perform the abortion.