Rape Victim Sentenced 30 Years After Stillbirth

IN EL SALVADOR, TEEN RAPE VICTIM HAS RECEIVED 30 YEARS IN
PRISON AFTER A STILLBIRTH THAT RESULTED FROM HER RAPE.
HER NAME IS EVELYN BEECHER'S HERNANDEZ CRUISE.
SHE GAVE BIRTH INTO A TOILET IN APRIL 2016
AFTER FALLING ILL WITH ACUTE BACK AND STOMACH PAIN.
PREVIOUS TO THAT, SHE HAD BEEN REPEATEDLY RAPED BY A GANG
MEMBER OVER SEVERAL MONTHS AS PART OF A FORCED SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP.
EVEN BEFORE YOU FIND THAT WINDS UP HAPPENING, THAT IS AN
INCREDIBLY DARK AND SERIOUS SITUATION THAT SHE'D BEEN
INVOLVED IN.
NOW AFTER GIVING BIRTH, SHE WAS ARRESTED WHEN PEOPLE WHEN
POLICE FOUND THE DECEASED PEDIS IN THE TOILET.
SHE'S BEEN A WEEK HANDCUFFED TO A HOSPITAL BED BALL BEING
TREATED FOR SEVERE ANEMIA AND A URINARY TRACT INFECTION AND
HAS BEEN DETAINED EVER SINCE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER YOUR DETAINMENT BUT IMAGINE
AGAIN, BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THAT LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS,
SHE HAS A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED RAPES, SHE HAS A
TERRIBLE SITUATION, THE HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT RESULT FROM IT,
AND THEY HANDCUFFED HER TO THE BED LIKE SHOULD BROKEN THE LAW.
OF COURSE, IN EL SALVADOR, ABORTION IN ALL CASES AND
ILLEGAL SO SHE HAD ALTHOUGH SHE HAD ONLY BROKEN EL
SALVADOR'S LAWS NOT ANY MORAL OR ETHICAL LAW.
SHE IS OF GOING TO COURT.
THE FEMALE JUDGE ACCEPTED THE PROSECUTOR'S CLAIMS THAT
HERNANDEZ FELT TO SEEK ANTENATAL HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT
THE BABY AND THREW HIM INTO THE TOILET INTENDING TO KILL HIM.
AND SENSING SENTENCING THE JUDGE WENT FURTHER AND SUGGESTED
THAT HERNANDEZ CANNOT OF ENACTED ALONE AND THAT HER MOTHER
MAY ALSO BECOMINGLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE TAKING THIS GIRL
WHO HAD BEEN RAPED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THROWING HER IN
JAIL FOR 30 YEARS ISN'T ENOUGH JUSTICE FOR THEM AT THIS POINT.
THEY WANT TO GO FARTHER POSSIBLY.
FRANCISCO, I KNOW YOU ACTUALLY WENT DOWN THERE AND TALK TO HER.
JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE THING CLEAR BEFORE WE GO TO THAT.
IF YOU THINK, YOU BELIEVE THE FACT PATTERN THAT SHE DELIVERED
THE BABY AND THEN THREW IN THE TOILET, THEN THAT WOULD BE
MURDER.
THE THING IS, IN THIS CASE, THE MEDICAL EXPERTS WERE UNABLE TO
ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE FETUS DIED IN UTERO OR IN THE MOMENTS
RIGHT AFTER DELIVERY, SO THAT MEANS, OBVIOUSLY EL
SALVADOR HAS DIFFERENT LEGAL STANDARDS IN AMERICA IT'S
BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.
THAT SHOULD SHE READ THERE THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE EVIDENCE
BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT THAT SHE HAD DONE THAT.
SHE TESTIFIED AND EVERYONE ELSE AROUND HER SAID NO, THAT IS
NOT WHAT HAPPENED.
SHE HAD ABDOMINAL PAIN, DIDN'T
EVEN KNOW THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN HER MONTAGUE
TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEN THEY REALIZED ALL MY GOD, SHE TO
STILLBIRTH AND THAT IS WHAT HAD GONE INTO THE TOILET I
DON'T KNOW DO BELIEVE THERE EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT
MEDICAL EXPERTS SAID THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING SO THERE'S
NO WAY OF KNOWING, YOU'RE GOING TO CHARGE HER WITH MURDER?
THE ENTIRE CONTEXT, IN EL SALVADOR, THIS IS ONLY
CASEY COULD GO WELL, HE SAID, SHE SAID.
WE CAN'T QUITE TELL.
NO, THEY'VE DONE THIS TO DOZENS OF WOMEN, FOR STILLBIRTH,
FOR ABORTIONS, LOCKING THEM UP FOR A LONG TIME.
ACTUALLY, HUNDRED AND 50 WOMEN HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED
FOR ABORTIONS WHEN THEY HAVE HAD MISCARRIAGES.
I ACTUALLY MET EVELYN WHO IS RIGHT NOW 19 AND WHEN I MET
HER IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, I WAS DOWN THERE FOR A STORY
FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL, ON THEIR SHOW EXPLORER, WE DID
A WHOLE SEGMENT ON IT, SHE HAD ARTIE BEEN IN THIS OVERCROWDED
PRISON IN EL SALVADOR FOR EIGHT MONTHS AWAITING THIS SENTENCE.
SHE TOLD ME, SHE'S CHOKING BACK TEARS THAT SHE WAS RAPED AND
THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT AND SO INTEL SHE
MISCARRIED, AND THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, AND YOU THINK IT'S
RIDICULOUS, AND THEN YOU LIKE HOW DID YOU KNOW.
HOW DOES THE MEDICAL EXAMINER NO?
IT'S ILLEGAL.
THAT MIGHT BE DRACONIAN WHICH I
BELIEVE THAT IT IS, BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW?
ACTUALLY, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL WHETHER THERE HAS
BEEN AN ABORTION OR A MISCARRIAGE.
YOU CAN'T TELL UNLESS THERE'S LESIONS OR WHATEVER IT IS, BUT
IT IS ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL AND SHE IS NOT THE FIRST
WOMAN TO HAVE BEEN SENTENCED OUT THERE 17 WOMEN RIGHT NOW WHO ARE
LANGUISHING IN PRISON WHO ARE WAITING AND THEY ARE CONTESTING
THEIR CASES AND THERE'S BASICALLY ONE OR TWO LAWYERS TO
REPRESENT THEM, ONE GUY NAMED DENNIS MUNOZ BUT THE REASON EL
SALVADOR MATTERS FOR AMERICANS IS THAT IT IS A GLIMPSE INTO
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START TO ROLL BACK ABORTION LAWS.
WHEN YOU START TO TAKE AWAY THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE, THERE IS
NO STOPPING IT AND IT SNOWBALLS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU START TO SAY HEY, WE NEED TO HAVE, WE CAN
RESTRICT THE ABORTIONS AT THE SECOND TRIMESTER, THE FIRST
TRIMESTER, THEN WE GO BACK, THEN WE GO TO THE HEARTBEAT, AND THEN
YEAH, THE LINE BETWEEN WHAT IS AN ABORTION AND WHAT IS
CONSIDERED MURDER IS COMPLETELY BLURRED AND WHAT IS THE
RESULT OF THAT IS WOMEN ARE SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS.
THIS WOMAN WAS NOT LISTEN TO.
SHE WAS NOT BELIEVED WHAT THE LAWYER TOLD ME THERE IS THAT
OFTENTIMES JUDGES ARE, HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS
DIFFICULT TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ABORTION AND A
MISCARRIAGE WHICH IS WHY THERE SENTENCING THESE WOMEN WHO
MISCARRIED TO PRISON TIME.
THEY MAY NOT CARE.
RIGHT.
IS GIVE THAT MORE CONTEXT, TOO.
YOU MIGHT THINK, SHE DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT?
COME ON.
NO, WE'VE ACTUALLY COVERED A LOT OF STORIES ON THE SHOW
ABOUT WOMEN WHO DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE PREGNANT THAT IT DIDN'T
LEAD TO THIS KIND OF SITUATION NORMALLY, ALTHOUGH, ONE OF THE
STORIES RECOVERED ON THE AIR WAS A WOMAN HE WENT TO THE BATHROOM,
DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT AND A BABY DROPPED OUT AND SHE WAS
LIKE OH MY GOD AND SHE PICKED UP THE BABY AND THE BABY IS FINE.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT CASE, BUT IT DOES HAPPEN FROM TIME TO
TIME AND ON THE MISCARRIAGE AND ABORTION, PEOPLE WHO ARE
PRO-LIFE MY TURN AROUND AND GO MAYBE SOME OF THOSE WERE
NOT MISCARRIAGES, THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABORTIONS BECAUSE
YOU CAN'T TELL AND HENCE THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED WITH 30
YEARS IN PRISON.
OKAY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU THINK THAT EVEN IF YOU ARE
PRO-LIFE BUT OBVIOUSLY SOME PEOPLE IN EL SALVADOR, THE
GOVERNMENT DOES.
ALSO, IT MIGHT NOT OF BEEN AN ABORTION.
IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A MISCARRIAGE.
HOW MANY WOMEN ARE ROTTING IN PRISON IN EL SALVADOR
BECAUSE THEY HAD A MISCARRIAGE?
JESUS.
WHICH BRINGS US BACK TO JESUS.
NOW THAT I'VE GIVEN YOU THE FULL CONTEXT OF IT AND THE UPS AND
DOWNS AND BOTH SIDES, LET ME JUST SAY WE KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED IN EL SALVADOR ON A BIG PICTURE.
CATHOLIC GROUPS CAME IN AND FUNDED A DRIVE TO PASS THIS LAW.
IT WAS BACKGROUND 97 OR SO THAT THIS HAPPENED, IN THE LATE
1990S SO ALMOST 20
YEARS AGO AND THE POPULATION IS ACTUALLY NOT IN FAVOR OF IT.
THERE IS A PUSH RIGHT NOW TO AT LEAST GET AN EXEMPTION FOR
RAPE, IF THE MOTHER'S LIFE IS IN DANGER AND ONE OTHER
EXCEPTION BUT THE GOVERNMENT WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THEY REFUSE TO HAVE A VOTE SO FAR FOR FOUR MONTHS AS
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS SO RELIGIOUS GROUPS
CAME IN AND SAID MISCARRIAGE, YOU KNOW, STILLBIRTH, WHATEVER.
NO EXCEPTIONS.
PUT THEM IN PRISON FOR 30 YEARS IF THEY GET AN ABORTION.
IN MIND YOU, JUST UP WITH SOME CONTEXT ON THIS ALSO,
EL SALVADOR IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES IN THE
WORLD AND ALSO IT HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF THEM ASIDE
WHICH IS MURDER OF WOMEN IN THE WORLD.
THERE'S A REASON THAT THERE IS A MASS INFLUX OF PEOPLE
SEEKING ASYLUM REALLY, IMMIGRANTS COMING INTO
MEXICO COMING INTO UNITED STATES FROM EL SALVADOR.
IT IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE A WOMAN, TO BE ANYONE.
THERE'S A LOT OF GANG VIOLENCE, AS WAS EXPERIENCED BY EVELYN
HERE, I THINK THE OTHER THING TO MENTION IS THERE IS ANOTHER BILL
FROM THE RIGHT WING PARTY RIGHT NOW.
I MET WITH A GUY WHO WAS DRAWING IT UP.
HE WANTS TO FURTHER CRIMINALIZE ABORTION TO BE AN AUTOMATIC
LIFE SENTENCE.
30 YEARS IS NOT ENOUGH.
KNOW, YOU COULD GET OUT.
MEANWHILE, I MET A YOUNG WOMAN WHO WAS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS,
ANOTHER WOMAN, WAS SENTENCE, HAD A 33-YEAR-OLD SON WHEN SHE WAS
SENTENCED AND SHE WAS I BELIEVE SOMETHING LIKE AROUND 20.
SHE'S BEEN IN THERE FOR 10 YEARS ALREADY.
HER SON IS 13.
THIS IS THE PRO-LIFE POSITION.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.
AGAIN, THE SLIPPERY SLOPE.
I THINK WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IN THE UNITED
STATES, THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO DEFEND ABORTION RIGHTS.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE PRO-LIFE OR PRO-CHOICE, THIS IS HOW
YOUR CONE UNIT CAN GET, WHEN A MOTHER'S LIFE, ANOTHER
SITUATION WHERE A MOTHER HAS LEUKEMIA AND NEEDS TREATMENT.
WELL, SHE IS PREGNANT AND SHE CAN'T.
THAT BABY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE CARRIED TO TERM.
THERE'S NO WAY THIS BABY IS SURVIVING.
WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO IN EL SALVADOR?
THE MOTHER HAS TO CARRY THE BABY TO TERM.
SHE WILL DIE, THE FETUS WILL DIE, BUT GOD WINS?
I DON'T KNOW.
THAT WAS ANOTHER CASE.
JUDGE HAD A RULE AND THEN FINALLY THIS WOMAN'S LIFE
WAS SAVED BUT ONLY, AND THIS IS CRAZY, IF SHE HAD A CESAREAN.
SO THAT IT WAS LIKE A BIRTH, BUT NOT.
SHE COULDN'T HAVE A REGULAR ABORTION.
IT WASN'T A
MEDICAL ABORTION.
IT WAS NECESSARY AND -
I'M SURE SHE WAS AN AMAZING SHAPE TO HAVE SURGERY
PERFORMED ON HER.
RIGHT, SUFFERING FROM LEUKEMIA.
I DO NOT WISH BEING A WOMAN IN EL SALVADOR ON ANYONE.
THAT COUNTRY ABSOLUTELY NEEDS OUR SOLITARY AND
SUPPORT.
WHICH LEADS ME TO MY FINAL POINT WHICH IS EVERYONE'S A WHILE
IN THIS COUNTRY, JUSTIFIABLY, PEOPLE SAY OH MY GOD, LOOK
AT THE WAY RADICAL MUSLIMS KEEP TREAT WOMEN, WHETHER IT'S
THE TALIBAN AND IN AFGHANISTAN OR OUR ALLIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA.
WELL, THERE'S CHRISTIANS SHARIA LAW AS WELLNESS CHRISTIAN
TALIBAN AS WELL AND THEY TREAT WOMEN HORRIBLY AS WELL LIKE
IN CASES LIKE THIS.
AND IF YOU ARE OFFENDED THAT I AM CALLING A CHRISTIAN
SHARIA LAW, THAT IS A SAD DAY FOR YOU.
THAT IS LITERALLY WHAT IT IS.
SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CHRISTIANS AND DON'T BELIEVE
WHAT YOU BELIEVE, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR RELIGION IS.
I DON'T CARE THAT MUSLIMS THINK I SHOULDN'T DRAW THE
PROPHET MOHAMMED, THAT'S YOUR OPINION AND I'M NOT MUSLIM.
YOU THINK WOMEN SHOULDN'T HAVE AN ABORTION.
THEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN ABORTION.
I AM NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR SHARIA LAW WHETHER YOU ARE
MUSLIM OR CATHOLIC.
IN THIS CASE IT WAS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SPECIFICALLY PUSH
FORWARD ON THIS BILL.
BY THE WAY, YOU ARE EVEN RUN BY YOUR OWN BIBLE TAUGHT IN
THE BIBLE, HE SAYS IT IS PRO-ABORTION.
GOD SAYS IF YOUR WIFE CHEATED ON YOU, GIVE HER A POTION AND
IF USE IF YOU THINK SHE CHEATED ON YOU AND IF SHE ABORTS
THE BABY, GREAT, AND MEAN SHE DID CHEAT ON YOU AND IT'S A
GOOD THING WE KILLED THAT BABY.
READ THE BIBLE, IT IS THE NUMBERS.
I DIDNíT SAY THAT,
GOD SAID THAT.

Rape Victim Sentenced 30 Years After Stillbirth

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