Rape victim moves Gujarat HC seeking permission for abortion

An 18-year-old rape victim from a village in Junagadh district today moved the Gujarat High Court seeking permission for undergoing abortion.
The victim claimed that she became pregnant after she was raped by a youth last year.
As the girl, who is being treated at Sola Civil Hospital here, is already having 21-weeks of pregnancy, justice Sonia Gokani took up the matter for urgent hearing and asked the Medical Superintendent of the hospital to form a panel of expert doctors to examine the mental and physical condition of the girl.
The High Court has directed the Superintendent to submit the report to it by February 19, after which the Court will take an appropriate decision in this regard.

In her petition, the girl claimed that she was raped by a youth in September last year. Unable to bear the mental trauma, she then consumed acid in a bid to kill herself, stated the plea.
Though she survived the suicide bid, acid has caused severe damage to her internal organs. As a result, she is not able to eat or even drink from her mouth, the plea claimed.

At present, she is being fed through a pipe placed directly into her stomach.
According to her plea, her parents came to know about the pregnancy only recently as they were occupied in taking care of her.

The girl has pleaded that she should be given permission to terminate her pregnancy looking at her present condition which, according to her, poses great risk to her as well as the unborn if she delivers the child.