Abortion, neglect, and the death of Augusta García Platas en Ayacucho, Peru, in 1946.
Augusta García Platas died after a clandestine abortion in Ayacucho in 1946. This article, based on material in the Historical Archive in Ayacucho, examines the criminal trial that was held to determine who was responsible for her death. Although the judicial authorities accused certain individuals of being directly responsible for inducing an abortion, they considered that the root cause of the young woman's death was neglect on the part of those who were supposed to protect her physical and moral health. This case provides an opportunity to clarify the strategies used by the defendants to refute criminal charges. It also helps us understand the various deficiencies of the Peruvian legal system in the mid-twentieth century.
Profesor, Departamento de Medicina Social/University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 333 South Columbia Street #348 27599-7240 - Chapel Hill - NC - EEUU. necochea@med.unc.edu.
Raúl Necochea
RN
López