1 minute read
General Observations
umana. Quindi non vi e' nessun uomo, nessuna autorità’ umana, nessuna scienza, nessuna ‘indicazione’ medica engenica, sociale, economica, morale, che possa esibire o dare un valido titolo giuridico per una diretta deliberata disposizione sopra una vita umana innocente, vale a dire una disposizione, che miri alla sua distinzione, sia come a scopo, sia come a mezzo per un altro scope, per si’ torse in nessun modo illicito. Cosi’, peresmpio, salvare la vita della madre e’ un nobilissimo fine: ma l’uccisione iiretta del bambino come mezzo a tal fine, non e’ lecita”.
General Observations
Advertisement
1. The question is often asked by text-writers and commentators whether the crime of abortion admits of a punishable attempt. Naturally the question arises where the endeavour is made by adequate and sufficient means, for if the means used were absolutely inadequate or insufficient for the purpose, the hypothesis of a criminal attempt would be excluded on the grounds of impossibility. The law may punish the use of the means as such, if certain consequences, independently of the onset of miscarriage, ensue (as our law in Section 256, where the woman dies or suffers severe injury), but not as an attempt.
But suppose the means used or supplied or administered could have induced abortion?
The more commonly accepted jurists recognise the possibility of attempt where the act is done by any person other than the woman herself. The general rules of criminal attempt find no difficulty of application in such cases. Doubt is entertained by certain writers in the case of attempt committed by the woman on herself, Carrara, who examined this question, arrived at the conclusion “di dover ammettere in astratto la possibilità del teniato aborto, quantunque in concreto eia arduo sostenero l’accusa, per la facilità di declinarla con allegere la inettitudine dei mezzi; o dedurre che l’aborto Non segui perchè donna, o pentita o timida, sospese di Adoperarli”466. Moreover, Carrara doubted the expediency of preferring such charges which are calculated to cause family trouble and public scandals proceedings which, generally. must end in acquittal. Those are the reasons. the eminent jurist concludes, which induce a
466 Op. Cit., para. 1266
