New Delhi: According to a media reports, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the termination of a 31-week-old pregnancy of a 13-year-old rape survivor. The rape survivor will undergo abortion on September 8 at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital.
“How can a 13 year old become a mother?” questioned Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. The minor girl’s mother had moved the apex court, seeking its permission to terminate the pregnancy of her daughter.
The matter had come to light when the girl’s family took her to a local doctor to know the reason behind her bloated stomach. The doctor advised them to get her utra-sound test done. The test revealed that the girl was pregnant.
The accused had been arrested from Charkop in suburban Kandivali and was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Earlier, on July 28, the top court had rejected a petition, on medical grounds, filed by another 10-year-old rape victim, who sought permission to terminate her 32-week-old pregnancy.
In the last hearing, the apex court directed the Chandigarh administration to give immediate financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to the victim and her mother.
The order came after reviewing the medical reports, which said, abortion would neither be good for the girl, nor for the foetus.
Present laws, under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP), do not allow abortion after 20 weeks.
