Ten-year-old rape victim denied abortion in India

A 10-year-old girl residing in the Indian city of Chandigarh has been denied an abortion after allegedly being raped repeatedly by a relative, the BBC news agency reported.

The girl’s story has taken the country by storm after India’s Supreme Court rejected a petition to pursue an abortion. The plea was rejected on the ground that she is far into her pregnancy at 32 weeks. The rape-victim’s family, who signed on her behalf, expressed disappointment over the court order.

According to the report, a doctor’s panel has advised the court that an abortion at this time would be “too risky” for her and the fetus was “doing well.”

As per Indian law, no abortions are permitted post the 20-week mark unless doctors determine a risk to the mother’s life. However, the girl was discovered to be expecting three weeks ago after she suffered from complications in her lower abdomen and was taken to a doctor.

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Someone who knows the girl personally expressed disappointment over the ruling. “She’s very innocent and has no idea what’s happened to her.” The girl getting pregnant at the age of 10 has also come as rude a shock to everyone. The child remains oblivious to her state and has been told that a stone sits in her stomach, stated the report.

What happens next

The girl has been kept under a diet consisting of eggs, milk, fruit, fish and chicken. A journalist, who spoke to the family, informed BBC that the girl suffers from “mild anaemia.”

While the family copes with the disrupting state of their daughter and attempt to recollect their strength, they have been bombarded by a hurl of journalists upon the story making media headlines.

Speaking to BBC, Chair of the Child Welfare Committee Neil Roberts said that the girl’s father finds his biggest challenge in the invasion of their privacy. The father also highlighted his frustration with the press for turning his daughter’s case “into a business enterprise.”

However, the media attention is to some extent ensuring that the girl receives proper medical attention, noted the report. The cousin of the child’s mother is apparently her alleged rapist.

Some individuals have questioned whether the mother was aware of the abuse her daughter was undergoing while others assume she may have consented to it. BBC revealed that the rapist is now behind bars and awaits trial.