High Court allows 15-year-old rape victim to terminate 28-week pregnancy

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By LE Desk

New Delhi, April 14: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has allowed a 15-year-old rape victim to terminate her 28-week pregnancy.

Justice Vishal Dhagat directed medical experts to terminate the pregnancy of the 15-year-old daughter of the petitioner by taking utmost care and precaution as per standard guidelines, said advocate Sharda Dubey who represented the mother of the girl.

The High Court allowed the petition on April 9 after taking the report of the chief medical officer on record, she said, news agency PTI reported.

As per provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion beyond 20-weeks of pregnancy can be performed only with the high court’s permission. However, as per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which was passed by the Rajya Sabha last month, abortion up to 24 weeks is allowed “for special categories of women”, from the existing 20 weeks gestation period.

The girl was raped by her cousin in November 2020 when her parents and other members of the family were away for work, Ms Dubey said.

The parents reported the matter to the police on March 19, 2021, after they noticed physical changes in their daughter.

If pregnancy is not terminated, there are remote chances that the baby will be born alive and chances of survival are very low. Even if the baby survives then she can suffer from a physical and mental disability.

“There is no psychiatric disorder but the petitioner’s daughter does not seem to be mature enough to take care of her baby,” Ms Dubey said quoting the report of the chief medical officer.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/rajya-sabha-passes-bill-to-allow-abortion-up-to-24-weeks-101615941232449.html

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