Cyprus police probe abortion incident

Police are investigating a suspected felony after a woman in Paphos, who aborted a pregnancy, declined a request by doctors to remain in the hospital.

Local media said arrest warrants have been issued for a married couple, described as foreign nationals, following an incident in the Emergency Room at Paphos General Hospital.

Reports said the couple went to the ER on Thursday where the 23-year-old Indian woman, who was 10 weeks pregnant with a dead fetus, was found to have been bleeding.

The woman, who reportedly told doctors she had taken pills to abort the baby, declined a request to remain in the hospital for further treatment and left with her husband.

Police declined to comment on the case but confirmed that a man had been arrested in connection with the case on felony charges and abortion attempt.

In 2018 Cypriot lawmakers decriminalized early term abortion by amending the island’s criminal code to give women the right to an early term abortion, that is to terminate an unwanted pregnancy up to 12 weeks or if there is significant medical condition in the fetus - or if rape or incest is involved - up to 19 weeks.

The new legislation was spearheaded by then-MP and now EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

But unresolved issues have remained while last year during a House committee hearing on human rights, lawmakers heard that in some districts medical doctors in both public and private sectors would still deny women the right to abortion.

In 2019 a similar incident took place also in Paphos when a Scottish woman was hospitalized after a miscarriage. 

Knews could not confirm with officials whether any other offenses were being investigated in connection with the family in question.