German court overturns abortion advertising conviction

BERLIN – A German court has overturned a doctor’s conviction for advertising abortions after the government loosened rules on the issue.

Kristina Haenel was fined 6,000 euros ($6,775) in 2017 by a court in Giessen after stating on her website that she carried out abortions. That violated a German law that bans “advertising” the procedure, and which carries a fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

A higher court in Frankfurt said Wednesday it overturned the conviction and ordered a retrial. The ruling followed a compromise reached by Germany’s governing coalition earlier this year. Under the deal, the ban formally remains but doctors and hospitals are allowed to say on their websites they perform abortions, without giving more detailed information.