Abortion in France
Abortion has been legal in France since the passage of the Veil Act in 1975.
Abortion was criminalized with the imposition of the Napoleonic Code. During the Nazi occupation during World War II, the punishments were extended to their greatest stringency, with abortion a capital offense. The last execution took place in 1942. Following the war, the death penalty for abortion was abolished, and special courts were set up to deal with abortion cases.
Illegal abortion rates remained fairly high during the post-war period, and increasing numbers of women began to travel to the United Kingdom to procure abortions after it legalized abortion in 1967. France legalized abortion in 1975, available on demand until the tenth week of pregnancy on condition that they undergo counselling on alternatives and observe a one-week waiting period. After the tenth week, two physicians must certify that the woman’s health is endangered or the fetus is handicapped.
France was the first country to legalize the use of RU-486 as an abortifacient in 1988, allowing its use up to seven weeks of pregnancy. By one estimate, a quarter of all French abortions now use RU-486.
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