Rape Survivor, 14, Won't Terminate 34-Week Pregnancy On Doctors' Advice

A 14-year-old rape survivor on Friday told the Bombay High Court she would not undergo termination of her 34-week pregnancy after a medical board of the state run JJ Hospital advised against termination.

The survivor's father had approached the High Court earlier this week seeking to terminate the pregnancy. The court had then directed JJ hospital to examine the girl and submit its report.

The hospital, in its report submitted to the court on Friday, said the girl was 34 weeks' pregnant and, hence, it would be advisable to complete full term of the pregnancy.

Additional public prosecutor Prajakta Shinde told the court the survivor girl would be taken care of at the JJ hospital.

The petitioner's lawyers Tanveer Nizam and Mariam Nizam agreed, following which the matter was kept for further hearing on December 9.

Under the provisions of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, termination of pregnancy post the 20-week period is not permissible unless allowed by the high court.

As per the plea, the survivor was allegedly raped several times since November 2021 by her uncle. The father of the victim came to know of the alleged offence earlier this month when the victim complained of stomach pain and a medical check-up revealed she was pregnant.

An FIR was then lodged against the accused on October 24 this year under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

As per the plea, the victim belongs to lower socio-economic strata of the society and, hence, this pregnancy was causing immense anguish and trauma. "The victim herself is a child and does not wish to continue the pregnancy," the petition said.

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