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Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens): “We’re taking action.”
Photo: Kira Hofmann / IMAGO / photothek
Before deliberations in the Federal Cabinet, Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) advocated for a new law against so-called sidewalk harassment.
In this way, she wants to better protect women who want pregnancy advice from attacks by demonstrators.
In the past, abortion opponents have increasingly stopped in front of practices that offer advice on abortion.
Some pregnant women seeking advice were harassed and their path to doctors' offices or advice centers was blocked.
So far this has been covered by the right to demonstrate.
So that patients can no longer be harassed, Paus now wants to weigh the right to demonstrate against women's right to self-determination.
Wherever these women's rights are encroached upon, "we intervene," said Paus on ZDF's "Morgenmagazin."
“Don’t be confronted with hatred and agitation”
According to the draft law, sidewalk harassment in front of pregnancy counseling centers should in future be classified as administrative offenses.
It is important that pregnant women “receive good advice in these difficult situations and are not confronted with hatred and agitation,” said Paus.
"That's why we weigh freedom of expression and the right to assembly against each other, but there are unacceptable behaviors that took place in these places."
The problem is still small, but has grown in recent years, Paus continued.
In order to regulate fines in a legally secure and uniform manner, the government is now introducing the law.
In the future, demonstrators should be punished with fines of up to 5,000 euros in particularly serious cases.
The draft law is on the Federal Cabinet's agenda this morning.
mrc/dpa