Attorneys with Texas Center for Defense of Life representing a 14-year-old girl secured a temporary restraining order yesterday from a Texas court that blocks several of her family members from forcing her to have an abortion against her will.
The teenager’s family members had scheduled an appointment for her to have the abortion at a local Corpus Christi clinic this week. The girl has been under intense pressure to have the abortion, was physically assaulted last week by one family member, and has been prevented from attending school.
The unborn child’s teenage father and his mother also do not want the baby killed and have supported the girl’s decision to keep the child. The court order prohibits the girl’s family members “either directly or indirectly from forcing her to have an abortion against her will,” which includes taking her to any abortion clinic.
“Roe v. Wade and ‘choice’ go both ways… if it protects the constitutional rights of a girl or woman to have an abortion, oftentimes without even parental notification or consent, it likewise protects the right of that same girl or woman to not have an abortion against her will” said TCDL President and CEO Greg Terra.
TCDL Vice President and Chief Counsel Stephen Casey added, “No one should be allowed to decide that an innocent life–especially one that belongs to someone else–is worthless. The right to not have an abortion is protected by law, and this right is not relinquished just because someone else considers the child to be an unwanted burden.”
The 13-year-old high school student, who is carrying a 7-week-old pre-born child, is now even more resolved in her decision to keep her child. After suffering through several days of coercion and distress, the young woman’s friends contacted a local pregnancy center which, through various channels, was put in contact with Texas Center for Defense of Life.
“We intend to fully support this young woman in her desire to allow her child to live,” said Terra. “Every mother has the legal right to keep her unborn child, against the coercion of others, and we intend to support her decision in this case.”
The motion for TRO was filed by TCDL attorneys in the 347th District Court of Nueces County, Texas. A temporary injunction hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2012, where the court will decide whether to approve an injunction for the duration of the pregnancy.
