In a case that is believed to be the first of its kind, China's high courts have agreed to hear the suit of a young married woman who was forced to undergo an abortion against her will. Jin Yani, who violated Chinese law by becoming pregnant five months before she wed, was ready to deliver her baby when family planning officials appeared at the couple's door. They escorted her to a local abortion center, where her unborn child was given a lethal injection and later removed from the womb. Jin lost so much blood as a result of the procedure that she was hospitalized for six weeks and, in the seven years since, has been unable to conceive.
The mere fact that the Yanis' suit will be heard is a victory of seismic proportions. It is certain to draw some unwelcome attention to a deep scar on the human rights record of this year's Olympic host. While out-of-wedlock pregnancies are a violation of Chinese law, so are forced abortions--or so the government would like us to believe. Sadly, the suit's outcome is likely to have little impact on the brutal enforcement of the one-child policy by the Communist Party. According to media reports at least 500 ranking Communist officials have been expelled from the party and another 395 were "stripped of their posts" for having more than one child.
Additional Resources
Chinese woman in legal first over abortion case [London Telegraph]