Instigated by health care providers, relatives, and public prosecutors, these complaints typically languish for years in the judicial system, although relatively few have led to criminal convictions. (Under the law, the act of undergoing, performing, or abetting an illegal abortion is punishable by a prison term of one to six years.)
Iniciades per treballadors de la Sanitat, familiars i fiscals, aquestes querelles normalment passen molt de temps al sistema judicial, tot i que alguns han acabat amb condemnes de presó ja que, segons la llei, sometre's, practicar o consentir un avortament és castigat amb penes de presó d'un a sis anys.