Puerto Rico’s governor has signed legislation amending the territory’s Penal Code to recognize the unborn child as a human being — a move supporters say brings greater consistency to existing law.
“The legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being,” Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said in a brief statement, according to AP News.
The amendment modifies an article within Puerto Rico’s Penal Code that defines murder, the outlet reported. Officials noted that the change complements an existing law that classifies as first-degree murder the intentional killing of a pregnant woman when it results in the death of the conceived child at any stage of gestation.
That law was named after Keishla Rodríguez, who was pregnant when she was killed in April 2021. Her death brought national attention to the question of how the law protects unborn children in cases of violence against pregnant women.
The newly signed measure aligns criminal statutes with that broader legal framework by formally recognizing the unborn child.