Gujarat HC allows abortion of rape victim’s 8-week foetus

Ahmedabad

The Gujarat High Court today allowed a 16-year-old rape victim to abort her eight-week foetus under proper medical care, on a plea by her parents.

Citing provisions of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, High Court justice K J Thaker asked the local police to take her to Sola Civil Hospital here and submit the latest medical reports of the doctors by tomorrow before proceeding for the termination of her pregnancy.

The court’s order came in response to a plea filed by the victim’s parents, who came to know about the alleged rape on their daughter when they took the girl for medical test at Sola Civil Hospital on December 12.

In her FIR lodged with Sola Police here, the victim alleged that she was raped thrice by a youth during last three months time, which resulted in her pregnancy. Based on the complaint, the accused have been arrested by Sola Police and lodged in jail, stated the plea.

As the medical tests confirmed that the girl is 8-week pregnant, her parents sought High Court’s permission to abort the child under the provision of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which permits abortion under the supervision of single doctor panel if the pregnancy is of less than 12 weeks.

PTI