Ruling on Abortion by the Court of Justice

In a recent development, Britta Haßelmann, Fraktion Chair, has expressed her concerns over a Labor Court ruling in Hamm regarding the ban on abortions in the Catholic Stift Lippstadt. Haßelmann, along with political figure Ulle Schauws, has spoken out against the ruling, which they believe is putting doctors in an impossible situation and worsening the supply situation for pregnant women in Germany.

The ruling affects women who wish to terminate their pregnancy before the 12th week and pregnant women who, for health reasons, cannot continue a wanted pregnancy. According to Haßelmann, these women are no longer being cared for due to a directive from the diocese in Lippstadt.

Prof. Joachim Volz, a gynecologist involved in the dispute, has appealed against the ban and is supported by Haßelmann and Schauws. Volz, like many doctors, is bound by his medical oath and instructed by his employer, yet finds himself in a difficult position due to the ruling.

Schauws has advocated for the decriminalization of abortion as a means to improve the supply situation for all pregnant women. She believes that outdated Catholic labor law with special privileges should not be prioritized over comprehensive medical treatment for pregnant women in Germany.

Haßelmann, too, has called for a change of thinking from the Catholic Church, suggesting that reform is urgently needed to address the unacceptable situation doctors find themselves in due to the ruling. She believes that if labor law is affecting the care of pregnant women, the legislator should ensure their care through other means.

Both Haßelmann and Schauws have expressed concern for doctors like Volz, who are in an impossible situation due to the ruling, and have called for legal certainty and support from society and politics. Haßelmann has stated that this ruling is not a good day for women in Lippstadt and across Germany.

The ruling in Hamm is particularly tragic for women whose cases are not easy decisions for everyone involved. Schauws has emphasized that this situation is not just about the Catholic Church's rejection of abortions, but about the care and wellbeing of pregnant women in Germany.

In conclusion, the dispute over the Catholic Stift Lippstadt's ban on medical abortions has sparked a call for reform and legal certainty from politicians Haßelmann and Schauws. They believe that the ruling is worsening the supply situation for pregnant women and putting doctors in an impossible position, and that a change of thinking is needed from the Catholic Church to ensure the care and wellbeing of all pregnant women in Germany.