Abortion heartbeat rule passed

Women in Hungary seeking an abortion must first listen to the heartbeat of the embryo under a law which came into force last week.

In a decree issued by the interior minister, any woman seeking an abortion will have to present a medical certificate stating that “factors indicating the presence of the embryo’s vital functions have been brought to her attention”.

Human rights organisations said this would increase pressure on women already in a difficult situation with an unwanted pregnancy.

Hungary’s abortion laws had been liberal compared with neighbours such as Poland, where abortion is allowed only when a woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of a criminal act.