The Tragedy of Secret Abortion Clinics in Algeria: The “Lucrative Crime”

Lucrative profits are made these days by some secret clinics installed illegally in Algeria, as they offer the possibility for women to “get rid” of their mistaken made babies.‮

Echorouk’s reporter, Imene Illene, discovered a couple of those secret abortion clinics in Algiers. The clients were young girls who did “a sin” and want to wash it away; as well as housewives whom husbands forced them to get rid of the freshly discovered baby.

Echorouk reporter headed to a pregnancy clinic, in the east outskirts of Algiers, which, apparently, offers illegally abortion service. 

In the waiting room, there were a group of women of different age. Nadjia, 28 years old, says she came to the clinic to get rid of a one-month baby out of marriage, to avoid being casted away by her family. She says “I slept a couple of times with my fiancée; I’ve recently discovered that I’m in my first month pregnancy; I want to get rid of it,” adding “this clinic offers special for 6000 DZD (50 Euros) medicines which will help me aborting the baby.”

A mid-aged woman, joined the conversation, and said, quietly, “I’m a mother of two, and I want to abort the four month baby,” adding “but the problem is that it’s my husband who has forced me to do so; otherwise we’d be divorced!” She further added “The clinic told me that I have to endure a surgery, and I can hardly afford paying the required 2 million DZD (1500 Euros).”

Echorouk’s reporter pursued her “investigation.” In the yard of Mustaph Pacha Hospital, in downtown Algiers, she, accidentally, met Nadia, a 23 years old student, pregnant in her 1st month. 

She was begging, in vain, doctors passing by to help her aborting her baby. When she told her tragic story, she shed tears, and hardly could talk. She said she came from a faraway city to study Law in the University of Algiers. Later on, she was introduced to a rich youngster who invited her out for a party. She says the man put some hypnotics in her juice and raped her, before she discovered, later on, that she is pregnant. “I didn’t want to file a complaint to police because I don’t want my family to hear about such a scandal.”

“Now, I come every day to this hospital, on the hope to find someone who could help me aborting this baby,” she cried. 

Nadia further specified that she is about to collect 100 000 DZD (800 Euros), because a nurse promised her to provide her abortion pills. “I’ve sold my jewelleries and saved my monthly scholarships, but I still can’t collect the necessary money; and I wonder what to do now!” she concluded.