Rome, the case of the fetus cemetery: on the crosses the names of mothers who have aborted. And that “practice” that arises from a royal decree of 1939

An expanse of bare crosses. Each has a marker written with a woman’s name and a registration number. There are a few hundred in Flaminio Cemetery in Rome, one of the largest in Europe. No flowers, no votive lights, just some toys. Technically they were “fetuses”, the result of spontaneous or therapeutic abortions, in any case between weeks 20 and 28, therefore beyond the 90 days provided by law 194/78 for voluntary abortion but provided for health reasons . A female first and last name are linked to each cross, but the sex of the fetus has nothing to do with it. These are the details of the women who, as a result of the abortion operation, signed a form asking the hospital to take charge of the “Elimination” of the fetus, “In accordance with current regulations”. Almost none of them were really aware that this release would lead to the burial of the little body, exactly as if it were a born and then deceased individual. Among the many, discovering it, almost by chance, was Marta Loi, a Roman woman who days ago published a photo of the tomb with her name on Facebook, denouncing that “everything is scandalously absurd, my privacy has been violated.” Another torment after the abortion experience in the San Camillo hospital in Rome.

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Cemetery of the fetuses

The “praxis” and the royal decree of 1939 – Current “regulations”, in fact, state that fetuses that die in the fifth and seventh month are buried, unless otherwise specified, as if they were normally dead. The reference is the 1990 Mortuary Police Regulations, which even refer to Royal Decree of the July 9, 1939 (Article 74), an 81-year-old law that establishes that “for the burial of abortive products of presumed gestation age of 20 to 28 completed weeks and fetuses that presumably have reached 28 weeks of intrauterine age and that“ The state official civilian has not been declared as stillbirth, the transport and burial permits are issued by the local health unit ”. It, however, specifies that “family members or persons on their behalf must submit, within 24 hours after the expulsion or extraction of the fetus, a request for burial to the local health unit, accompanied by a medical certificate stating indicate the age and presumed weight of the fetus. ” In short, even the royal decree of the Mussolini era provided for the “Request for burial” by the parents, which however “as usual” – and in the absence of further updates – is carried out anyway if the parents are not interested in the “removal” of the “abortifacient product”.

me names on the crosses and the burial of the “abortifacient product” – The result is the grim scenario facing the Flaminio Cemetery. But why those crosses with women’s names? This is the other fundamental issue in the Marta Loi case. The services of the cemetery in Rome are entrusted to Municipalized mistressHowever, he should not be able to know the details of a “hospital waste” or “abortifacient”, if the hospital does not communicate it. However, San Camillo, a secular and regional hospital linked to ASL Roma 3, affirms that “the activities related to the transport, handling and burial of the fetus are the complete and exclusive competence of Ama”, who responds that “the burial was carried out with specific contributions from the hospitalAnd that “the epigraph must contain in any case some basic indications to identify the burial by those who know of its existence and are looking for it.” Apparently he is nobody. Ms. Loi, for her part, only later recalled that someone at the hospital, at a delicate and particular moment, informed her that “the fetus will continue to be buried for charity” and that “it will have its own.” placed with her cross and you will find it with her name ”. A sign that the practice is known and shared in the different passages.

UAAR attacks, San Camillo defends himself – Adele Orioli, a lawyer from the Union of Atheists and Rationalist Agnostics (Uaar), to which Loi addressed, comments that “this is one more criminalization of women who decide to abort or, as in this case, are forced for health reasons: o you find the money to care for the fetus, or you have to suffer a violation of privacy and the placement of a religious symbol of a single denomination. ”Since 2012, among other things, in Rome it is possible, for those who request it, to have fetuses in the ‘Garden of Angels’ in another cemetery, the Laurentino, recently visited by French Pope, in which an ultra-Catholic association ‘Defend life with Mary’ operates, which nevertheless departs from the episode: “There is a memorandum of understanding with the City Council of Rome but it is solely and exclusively linked to the will of the parents and that of the Laurentino ”, explains the vice president Emiliano Ferri. It is also confirmed to Ilfattoquotidiano.it Sveva Belviso, at the time deputy mayor: “This agreement exclusively affected the Laurentino cemetery, if we had undertaken other initiatives we would have publicized them without shame.” Giovanna scassellatiThe holder of the ‘Law 194’ of the UOSD San ​​Camillo, is categorical: “We have made secularism and women’s rights a banner in this hospital, I exclude any kind of non-institutional intermediary from taking part. I do not accept criminalization in this sense. If there has been a violation of privacy, it is the responsibility of the Capitolina company ”. Or a regulation that translates into “practice” a royal decree of more than 80 years.