Pregnant woman under the elements of illegal abortion

The article deals with question what legal status is recognized to pregnant woman under the elements of illegal abortion according to criminal law of Lithuania, as well as laws of foreign countries. The status of pregnant woman depends in part on matter of priority: whether the priority is given to pregnant woman’s right to self-determination, right to respect for her private life or to right to life of the unborn. Pursuant to general rules of criminal liability and accompliceship and considering that illegal abortion is performed on pregnant women’s request and with her consent, it seems that she should be treated to be accomplice to illegal abortion and therefore should be treated to be criminally liable for this offense. This fact notwithstanding, according to the Criminal code of Lithuania it is recognized that pregnant woman is illegal abortion victim. The criminal and other laws of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Estonia and other countries are analysed in the article. The present analysis shows that pregnant woman under the elements of illegal abortion can be treated otherwise – not only as a victim. In some countries pregnant woman, as well as anyone who has performed an illegal abortion, is brought to criminal liability for illegal termination of her pregnancy. Moreover, in some countries criminal laws provides for pregnant woman’s liability for giving consent to illegal termination of her pregnancy. It is come to a conclusion that recognition of the right to abortion does not mean by itself that woman cannot be punished if she intentionally breaches certain statutory conditions of termination of pregnancy. In that regard in the article possibility to change the current status being recognized to pregnant woman according to the Criminal code of Lithuania is also analysed