Parliament rejects bill liberalising abortion laws

The Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, has voted down a citizen's draft law on the safe termination of pregnancy. The proposed legislation, signed by over 200,000 people, proposed the terminations could be offered free of charge until the 12th week of pregnancy, without asking women for a reason, and beyond the 12th week in case of foetal defects or the pregnancy being the result of a crime, such as rape.