Ukrainian refugees in Poland have been denied access to abortions

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing since February 24, 2022. As with most wars, civilians are fleeing their home country to find safety. The Russian soldiers have been particularly brutal with Ukrainian civilians and there have been many reports of rape. Those seeking refuge in Poland are facing other difficulties.

Poland has strong abortion laws

Poland has a near ban on abortions altogether except for certain cases like rape and incest or if the pregnancy poses a threat to the mother’s life. These new exceptions were brought in last year (2021).

However, despite the exceptions, it is still hard for victims of rape to get abortions as a criminal investigation needs to be opened to continue. This has made it pretty much impossible for Ukrainian refugees who were subjected to rape and who have fallen pregnant to abort the fetus.

Mara Clarke, the founder of Abortion Support Network, part of the Abortion Without Borders network, Poland’s largest abortion provider, told inews:

The situation for people pregnant by rape shows that ‘exception clauses’ to abortion laws do not work; while abortion for rape is technically allowed in Poland, it is almost never performed.

The process of obtaining one is incredibly traumatic and includes obtaining a certificate from a prosecutor to prove rape occurred.

Ukrainian refugees are struggling

Due to the laws in Poland, those in need of abortions are being denied access. Moreover, doctors and volunteers are struggling to help refugee rape survivors as they fear criminal sanctions, including imprisonment, for providing safe abortifacients and contraceptive pills.

There has been proof that Ukrainian women have been ‘systematically raped’ by Russian soldiers. Evidence has been found in towns like Bucha and Kharkiv. Lyudmila Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights has claimed that at least 25 girls and women between the ages of 14 and 24 were held captive in a basement by Russian forces in Bucha, and many were impregnated due to the sexual assault.

Lyudmyla Denisova said:

Nine of them are pregnant,

Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn’t want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children.

Read more:

⋙ War in Ukraine: Ukrainian woman raped by Russian soldiers while her child cries

⋙ Abortion rights could be overturned, this is what it means for us

⋙ UK government will intervene to ensure abortion services in Northern Ireland