El Salvador court to free woman sentenced to 30 years for death of foetus

El Salvador has one of the world's strictest bans on abortion. No exceptions are made for rape, incest or even when the mother's life is at risk

Sara Rogel was 22 years old when she was arrested in 2012 (REUTERS)

 A court in El Salvador has ordered the release of a young woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder following the death of her unborn child in 2012, authorities said on Monday.

Sara Rogel was arrested in October 2012 after going to a hospital with bleeding injuries caused by what she said was a fall while carrying out chores at home. Then a 22-year-old student, Ms Rogel was prosecuted and sentenced for killing her unborn daughter.

Salvadoran law applies one of the world's strictest bans on abortion with no exceptions made for rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk.

More than eight years after Ms Rogel was incarcerated, a judge for the Cojutepeque prison in eastern El Salvador granted her early release after accepting an appeal for pardon from her lawyers, said Ulises Marinero, chief spokesman for the courts.

Ms Rogel will continue, however, to be held in custody because the prosecution still has five days to appeal the decision.

"We feel the ruling is very satisfactory due to the effort we've made to free all these women who have been criminalised for having had an obstetrical emergency like Sara," her defense attorney Abigail Cortez told Reuters.

Reuters