Accessing Late-Term Abortion Following Sexual Assault: Looking Inside the Danish Legal Black Box

This article takes a critical look at potential human rights violations around access to late-term abortion following sexual assault in Danish law. Based on access to decisions from the country’s regional abortion councils combined with interviews with members of the abortion councils, the article sheds light on how national legislation and decision-making practices can lead to additional violations of the integrity of applicants who have survived sexual violence. A systematic failure to apply human rights consideration in the councils’ practices is revealed, and suggestions for changes that would bring Danish law and decision-making practices in line with the human rights framework are proposed.