10-year-old rape victim gives birth in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: A 10-year-old rape victim, whose plea to abort her 32-week-old pregnancy was turned down by the Supreme Court due to risks involved in the procedure, delivered a girl child in a government hospital here on Thursday, hospital officials said.

The mother and child were stable, hospital sources said, adding that the baby was in intensive care as it was underweight.

The rape victim, who was repeatedly raped by her uncle over seven months, was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital two days ago. The treatment expenses are being borne by Chandigarh administration.

Officials said that the girl was unaware that she had delivered a baby. Her parents had told her that she had a stone in her stomach and she was operated upon for its removal.

Her father had requested hospital authorities to initiate the procedure for the baby’s adoption, sources said. The girl’s family hails from Nepal and has been living in  Chandigarh.

The Supreme Court had last month refused to allow the rape victim to undergo an abortion due to risk to her life, as advised by a medical board. “In view of the recommendation made by medical board, we are satisfied it would not be in the interest of girl and foetus, who is 32 weeks old. We decline to terminate pregnancy,” the court said on July 28.

The order came on a PIL by advocate Alok Srivastava, who moved the top court after a plea for abortion was refused by a district court in Chandigarh on July 18. He said rape victim’s body was not ready for childbirth. The girl’s pregnancy was discovered after her parents took her to hospital on her complaint of stomach pain.