In the South American country of Paraguay, a 10-year-old girl is pregnant after being sexually abused by her stepfather.
The girl’s mother was arrested for allegedly failing to protect her daughter from a rapist and being his accomplice.
Human rights groups are fighting existing Paraguayan law, which bans abortions unless there are serious health risks.
The woman’s daughter is five months pregnant. The prosecutor in charge of the case says there’s an arrest warrant for the 42-year-old man, who’s at large.
The girl’s mother and human rights organizations are demanding the pregnancy be terminated, saying the law is on their side.
“When it comes to national legislation, we have article 109 of the Penal Code, which talks about the interruption of pregnancy in cases where it puts the life of the woman at risk,” María José Garcete of Amnesty International said.
Another Amnesty International official says, “The physical and psychological impact of forcing this young girl to continue with an unwanted pregnancy is tantamount to torture.”
Paraguayan Health Minister Antonio Barrios is firmly against putting an end to the pregnancy. An abortion, he says, even in this appalling case, would be a violation of the law, and government doctors have concluded the girl’s life is not in danger.
“We disagree with the possibility of interrupting the pregnancy,” Barrios said. “The girl is permanently receiving assistance. She’s in a shelter getting periodic checkups, and so far she’s had a normal pregnancy without any problems.”
The pregnancy was discovered last week when the mother took her daughter to the hospital after the girl complained of abdominal pain.
As shocking as this case may be, it’s certainly not an isolated incident. According to a UN report, in Paraguay every day two girls between the ages of ten and 14 who were victims of sexual abuse give birth.
Paraguayan health authorities say an abortion in the 22nd week of pregnancy also poses serious risks for the girl. Allowing the pregnancy to continue and doing a C-section, they say, is the most viable alternative for now.
Boy dem big man ya wickeddddd, and di muma fi go a jail.
I do not think there is any country in South America where abortion is legal. Is wicked that the child is the one who has to pay the price for the abuse, sad shame. Anyway you teck it, it’s a mess; di late term abortion does indeed pose a risk and being a mother at ten is crazy.