Chandigarh Court rejects plea for abortion of 10-year-old rape survivor

The Chandigarh district court refused to let 10-year-old rape survivor undergo an abortion after medical reports confirmed that she was more than 20 weeks pregnant. 

The court on Tuesday ruled out the plea based on the report submitted by doctors of Government Medical College and Hospital-32. According to the report the survivor was found to be 26 weeks pregnant and conducting an abortion on the victim would threaten her health and even risk her life. .

The local police on parents request had filed an application for approval for abortion.

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In India court allow termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks under Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and exceptions are only made if the fetus is found to be genetically abnormal.

According to the police reports the minor was allegedly repeatedly raped by her maternal uncle. The incident had come to surface after the victim complained of regular abdomen pain.  The survivor’s father is a government employee. According to several doctors normal delivery is ruled out and even caesarean section can also be dangerous as at this age pelvic bones are not fully developed and carrying full-term pregnancy is risky.According to NCRB reports around 8,800 cases of rape on minors were registered across the country and in over 10 percent of cases the victims were subjected to the gruesome crime by their own family members of relatives.