In Águilas, Murcia, authorities conducted a regional sweep of hospitals and health centers to locate the mother involved in a troubling case. The woman, who announced results within a week, was found and the fetus was later identified as deceased. She was hospitalized during the investigation as the events unfolded. She admitted to an act she described as the self-termination of a pregnancy at home, insisting she never intended to harm her child. She is being investigated as a suspect in a case that involves allegations of abortion conducted in a manner that drew involvement from a water seller in the community.
Under current law, Article 145 of the applicable penal code states that a woman who has or consents to an abortion, unless permitted by law, can face a fine ranging from six to twenty-four months. The rule adds that when the conduct occurs after the twenty-second gestational week, the penalties are applied in their upper half.
The case centers on a nineteen-year-old woman who would have faced both abortion and funeral arrangements in the area of Cueva de la Tía Petra, where the fetus was found during pregnancy beyond six months. The agents who arrived at the Águilas location on the day of discovery confirmed the presence of a fetus with visible nails. If the woman had not acted as she did, authorities believe the fetus might have survived.
I didn’t know it was 6 months
The young woman, who has a stable partner and is a mother of daughters, told investigators that she had gone to a pharmacy to obtain medication to stop the pregnancy. She claimed she did not realize the pregnancy had reached that stage. According to her statements, the pills she took led to the birth of a dead fetus at home, and hours later she buried the body where it was subsequently found.
Initial examinations conducted at the scene suggested no signs of violence on the fetus, a finding later corroborated by autopsy results. The Judicial Police, which led the investigation, did not detain the neighbor of Águilas at that time, as authorities did not see an immediate risk of flight or evidence destruction. The case now advances under the jurisdiction of the court, which will determine the next steps in the procedure according to the applicable law and the facts established through the investigation.