SC refuses to allow 10-year-old pregnt rape victim to abort foetus

New Delhi, July 28: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to allow a 10-year-old rape victim, who is 32 weeks pregnt, to undergo an abortion due to health issues. A division bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud turned down the plea to termite the child’s pregncy after a medical board, set up to examine the pregnt child, submitted its report.
Chandigarh’s Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) submitted its report to the court, noting that continuing with pregncy would be good for the child and abortion would risk her life. Taking the report into consideration, the bench said: “Pregncy is 32 weeks old. It’s a grave risk for 10-year-old girl. It’s not an early pregncy. “In view of the recommendation of made by medical board we are satisfied it would not be in the interest of girl and brighter to foetus who is 32 weeks old. We decline to termite pregncy.” The court had ordered a medical board be set up to examine the girl and ascertain the extent of risk to her life if the court was to allow an abortion. The order came on a PIL by advocate Alok Srivastava who moved the top court after a plea for the medical termition of pregncy was refused by a district court in Chandigarh on July 18. Rejecting the plea to termite the pregncy of the child, the apex court, however, said that “girl child should be given due medical care”. It also said that it would be open to doctors to evaluate the best operating mode in deciding the delivery of baby. Srivastava’s plea has also sought framing of guidelines for setting up of medical boards in every district for an expeditious examition of cases necessitating abortions in incidents of child rape victims. As lots of similar cases are coming before this court, the bench asked the Central government to have permanent medical board in states so that in first step, the child can be taken there.  (IANS)