Rape survivor, 10, can’t go for abortion: Doctors

CHANDIGARH: The 10-year-old rape survivor from Chandigarh is between 30 and 32 weeks pregnant and will have to undergo a normal delivery, according to sources close to doctors at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.

She was examined on Wednesday after the Supreme Court directed the institute to conduct a second round of tests on her to ascertain whether she could be allowed to terminate the unwanted pregnancy.

The sources say the doctors do not recommend any inter- vention at this point, implying that neither abortion nor a C- section is advisable, unless there is an emergency. “The girl’s health is normal, though she is slightly anaemic. Any surgery, either for abortion or full term delivery can be risky,” said a PGIMER official.

The girl had been raped several times allegedly by her maternal uncle. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, permits abortion till the fetus is 20 weeks old with exceptions being made in emergencies.

Experts at PGIMER prepared the report after the survivor underwent the fresh tests, which went on for almost two hours and included ultrasound, valve condition of the unborn baby and the girl and her mental condition. The doctors also considered her previous medical record.