HC allows rape victim to terminate eight week pregnancy

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed a 20-year-old rape victim to terminate her eight week pregnancy, and also permit her request for preservation of tissue samples of the foetus for the purpose of DNA testing.

The court directed that a female police official should accompany her to the Lady Hardinge Medical College, where the termination would be carried out, and asked the hospital to preserve a tissue sample with itself and give the remaining to the investigating officer (IO) probing the rape case.

The court directed police to send the tissue samples for DNA testing so that the results can be used during the trial of the case.

The woman claimed that she was repeatedly raped by the accused between from February to August this year, adding that he initially raped her by drugging her and he also took embarrassing and compromising photographs and videos of her.

Thereafter, by threatening to leak the pictures and videos he repeatedly raped her, she has alleged. She has lodged an FIR on September 17 and after her medical examination, she was found to be pregnant.

The court said that under the law, pregnancy of less than 12 weeks can be terminated if a doctor comes to the conclusion that it would cause harm, including mental trauma, to the mother.

In the instant case, as per the facts and circumstances, it saw no reason for a medical practitioner not to accept her plea for terminating the pregnancy, said the court.

--IANS

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