Social reform, honor and justice: infanticide and abortion in Mexico City, 1920-1940

Abstract

Abstract: This article analyzes the justice system from some cases of women who killed their children between 1920 and 1940 in Mexico City. That period was critical due to national reconstruction process that re-created new national state, new institutions and carried out social reforms to protect the family, women and childhood. In this context, took a place some changes on the laws and justice system such as greater penalties for some offenses, classifications of new crimes, gave power to judges for acting as they sees fit and got stronger the procurement justice system. But although the reforms promoted by revolutionary project, the judges continued sentenced both infanticide and abortion from a traditional way. So, honor, gender and legitimacy were considered more important than protecting the lives of the people.