Français
Abortion Laws in Greece
| Law, Regulations | Law No 821, 1978, amended by Law No. 1609, 1986. |
|---|---|
| Indications | Life, physical or mental health, Fetal impairment, rape, incest. |
| Time limit | Life, physical or mental health (not specified, anytime implied), fetal impairment (24 weeks), rape or incest (19 weeks). |
| Medical Abortion | (Authorized). |
| Providers | Obstetrician or gynaecologist, assisted by an anaesthetist. |
| Location of Services | Comprehensive care unit. |
GREECE. Penal Code.
304. (1) A person who terminates a pregnancy without the consent of the woman shall be liable to imprisonment.
(2) (a) A person who terminates a pregnancy with the consent of the woman, or provides her with the means of terminating her pregnancy, shall be liable to a period of imprisonment of not less than six months; if he performs several such acts, the period of imprisonment shall be not less than two years.
(b) If any of the acts referred to in item (a) above results in serious physical or mental harm to the pregnant woman, the period of imprisonment shall be not less than two years; if any of the acts result in death, the period of imprisonment may be 10 years.
(3) A woman who improperly terminates her pregnancy, or permits another person to do so, shall be liable to a period of imprisonment of up to one year.
(4) A voluntary termination of pregnancy, carried out with the consent of the woman by an obstetrician or gynaecologist, assisted by an anaesthetist, in a comprehensive care unit shall not constitute an offence if one of the following conditions is fulfilled:
1. the pregnancy has not progressed beyond 12 weeks;
2. there are indications, established in accordance with modern techniques of prenatal diagnosis, that the conceptus is suffering from a serious abnormality which would result in a serious congenital defect in the child, and the pregnancy has not progressed beyond 24 weeks;
3. there is an unavoidable risk to the life of the pregnant woman and of serious and permanent harm to her physical or mental health. A medical certificate to that effect shall be required;
4. the pregnancy results from rape, sexual intercourse with a minor female, incest, or intercourse with a woman who is incapable of resisting, provided that the duration of the pregnancy does not exceed 19 weeks;
(5) if the pregnant woman is a minor, the consent of one of the parents or the person having custody of the woman shall be necessary.
* * *
305. (1) A person who publicly or by circulating printed texts or graphic or pictorial representations advertises or promotes, even indirectly, medicaments or any other articles or methods as enabling a voluntary termination of pregnancy to be performed or, likewise, offers his own services or those of another to perform, or participate in, a voluntary termination of pregnancy shall be liable to a period of imprisonment not exceeding two years.
(2) The provision of information or explanations of a medical nature on voluntary termination of pregnancy in family planning centres or in the course of training physicians or persons lawfully empowered to employ methods for the voluntary termination of pregnancy, and the publication of articles and the like in specialized medical and pharmaceutical journals, shall not constitute an offence.
* * *