Swiss vote to relax abortion law

The Swiss opted for more lenient rather than stricter abortion laws

GENEVA, Switzerland -- The Swiss have overwhelmingly voted in favour of relaxing the country's abortions law while rejecting an alternative outright ban on terminations, a report has said.

The referendum result on Sunday decriminalised abortions up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy.

A majority of 72 percent voted for the government-backed proposal which was passed by Swiss politicians in March last year, The Associated Press news agency reported.

The margin was even bigger, 82 percent, for an alternative vote which rejected the proposal by an anti-abortion coalition to toughen the rules, AP added.

Turnout was a typical 40 percent of the eligible 4.5 million voters in a country that frequently uses referendums to decide issues.

The referendum was forced by the anti-abortion coalition using the country's constitutional provision allowing voters to challenge acts of parliament.

"This result shows the maturity of voters," Martine Desplands-Dondenaz, a member of the pro-reform campaign told AP.

"They have opted to respect personal choice."

But anti-abortion campaigners said the reform vote -- and the defeat of their own proposal -- showed "an ethical barrier has fallen in this country."

"Our battle will continue, because it's a moral combat" Philippe Etter said.

The current 60-year-old law only allows pregnancy to be terminated if the mother's health, including her mental health, is in danger. Doctors who carry out abortions may face five years in prison, while women may be sentenced to a three-year term.

But in a country where women were only given the vote in 1971, few prosecutions have taken place since 1988.

None have been convicted for abortion-related offenses during that time, while only five physicians had been convicted for ignoring the abortion rules in the past nine years.

Government statistics estimate between 12,000 and 13,000 abortions are carried out in the country every year.

The country's federal government will now propose the formal legislative change on the back of the vote, bringing Switzerland more in line with its European neighbours.

Britain, Spain and the Netherlands have the most liberal abortion laws allowing termination to take place up to 22 weeks into the pregnancy, while France, Italy, Greece, Denmark and Norway sanction a 10 week deadline.

Portugal, Ireland, and Malta have the strictest laws where abortion is virtually banned.

Under a revised law it will still remain an offense in Switzerland for anyone to undergo an abortion after 12 weeks without taking the proper steps.