The Swiss government has come out in support of legalizing abortion and is urging voters to vote “yes” in a referendum scheduled for June 2, 2002 that would legalize the procedure. Switzerland’s current law allows for abortion only when the women’s health is in danger. However, as many as 13,000 Swiss women obtain abortions every year, using loopholes in the existing law. In March of 2001, the Swiss legislature voted in favor of legal abortion, if performed within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and with a doctor’s approval. The Justice Minister, Ruth Metzler, supports legalizing the procedure, stating “With our current legal system it’s not the woman herself who can decide whether to have an abortion or not. The Swiss parliament wants women to be able to make their own decision.”
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