The Kerala High Court on Thursday allowed medical termination of the 26 week long pregnancy of a minor girl who was allegedly raped by her own father.
The court allowed the victim’s mother’s plea for abortion after a medical board report said that the continuation of pregnancy can adversely affect her mental status.
The board also said that the pregnancy can also adversely affect her physical health in view of her young age — 17 years.
The report further said that the baby may be born alive due to the advanced stage of the pregnancy and that the termination procedure as well as the associated complications have been explained to the patient.
“In the light of the above findings and also considering the fact that the girl is a rape victim, the prayer in the writ petition can be allowed. Therefore, this writ petition is allowed,” the court said.
It permitted the Superintendent, Government Medical College, Kannur to carry out medical termination of pregnancy of the minor victim.
The court also said that if the baby was born alive, the medical college “will do the needful, in accordance with law” and otherwise, the “doctors will take tissue of the foetus for DNA identification and will maintain the same intact for future purposes.
Read Order here:
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