Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 923 Thursday, amending the territory’s Penal Code to recognize unborn babies as human beings.
The law, a historic pro-life milestone, promotes consistency in Puerto Rico’s legal framework and strengthens penalties for the murder of pregnant women.
The legislation was named in memory of Keishla Rodríguez, a pregnant woman killed in 2021, whose killer received two life sentences. Supporters emphasize that the law focuses on harsher punishments for violence against pregnant women and reinforces the legal recognition of unborn children, while abortion remains legal in the territory.
While the bill does not alter current abortion statutes, it establishes an important legal and moral precedent by explicitly recognizing unborn children as human beings and embedding their protection within Puerto Rico’s civil and criminal law framework.
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