Abortions may be performed up to the 24th week of pregnancy, “the point at which the fetus becomes viable outside the mother’s womb.” The procedure must be carried out by a physician in a hospital or a specially licensed clinic and cannot occur earlier than six days after the woman has consulted the physician. The physician must inform the woman within five days of the consultation whether s/he will perform the requested procedure. The operating doctor must also advise the woman “on the different options available” and “inform her of the medical risks.” Minors (persons under 18 years of age) must have parental consent. The Act does not apply to late-term abortions (i.e., after 24 weeks). The Criminal Code penalizes the killing of a viable fetus. New regulations on late-term abortions were adopted in 2015, clarifying the circumstances, medical and legal, that must be considered before performing a late-term abortion. Late-term abortions are only authorized if they fall under one of two categories: 1) a fetus not expected to survive outside the mother’s body or 2) one with such serious conditions that, even with medical interventions, its chances of survival are small. The fetuses will be reported to a medical committee, which will determine whether the doctor acted with due care and, dependent on the category, send their findings to either the Healthcare Inspectorate (Category 1) or the Board of Procurators General of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (Category 2) to see whether further investigation is needed. (Unofficial English translation available here: https://cyber.harvard.edu/population/abortion/Nether.abo.htm)
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