The Times of India is reporting that a 13-year-old rape victim, granted permission to abort her 33 week old baby, gave birth Saturday night to a girl.
“The hospital staff are monitoring both the young mother and the newborn, who will remain under observation for a week,” B Division police station’s police inspector Sudhir Rane told The Times of India. As of the time this story is being written, there is no further information how healthy the baby and her mother are.
On May 6th, a special POCSO [Protection of Children from Sexual Offences] court rejected her application to abort on “the grounds that she was too young and the pregnancy was at a very advanced stage.” The girl’s mother then approached the Gujarat High Court.
The Court sought a medical opinion from a panel comprising a gynecologist, physician, psychiatrist, pediatrician, and radiologist.
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“The Medical experts informed the court that the abortion could still be conducted, although it carries a high risk of complications due to anaemia,” Brijesh Doshi reported for India Today. “Termination of pregnancy is possible though the procedure carries a high risk of complications as the girl suffers from anaemia,” the medical opinion noted.
“MTP can be performed after evaluation and correction of anaemia, since the victim is at high risk of complications related to termination of pregnancy,” said the Gujarat High Court.
The Medical Officer and Medical Superintendent of PDU General Hospital said the abortion should be committed as soon as possible. “They are directed to perform the procedure while ensuring that all possible care is taken and arrangements are made for necessary medical facilities such as blood supply, possibly on [last] Monday itself,” the court ordered.
The Times of India reported that
Justice Nirzar Desai of the HC, who allowed the MTP, observed in his order, “Considering the fact that the applicant is only 13 years old and has a long life ahead of her, and since MTP is possible as per the report, the ends of justice shall be met by informing the parents/guardians about the risks involved. Their informed consent must be obtained in a language they understand.”
Nancy Flanders wrote that
It seems absurd that the abortion would be carried out the same day as the court’s ruling, but only if the anemia was treated. If it were that simple to treat the girl’s anemia, why would it not have already been done? In addition, if the girl’s health is considered to be so at risk that the pregnancy must end, why would the baby have to be killed instead of simply delivered alive?
Flanders added [underlining added]
Such a ruling indicates that the decision has less to do with the girl’s health and more to do with her alleged low IQ and the rape. At 33 weeks, her baby has a 95% chance of survival. The only difference between an induction abortion at that stage of pregnancy and an induction delivery is the goal of the procedure. In an induction abortion, the goal is to ensure the baby is dead before delivery, while the goal of induction of labor would be to protect both the baby’s and the mother’s health and life
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. He frequently writes Today’s News and Views — an online opinion column on pro-life issues. File photo.
