14-Year-Old Rape Survivor Not Allowed To Terminate 24-Week Pregnancy By Gujarat High Court

[GraysAnalogy]

The Gujarat High Court dismissed a petition filed by the father of a 14-year-old rape victim seeking permission for termination of her pregnancy. Justice Abhilasha Kumari refused permission on the ground that the existing law does not allow termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks. In this case, the pregnancy was in the 24th week.

www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/07/24/gujarat-high-court-pregnancy_n_7862000.html

This has made me incredibly sad today, and made me think about the rules in regards to abortion not just in this case. Should any female be forced to carry her rapists child, should the time limit still stand?

I believe in abortion to term anyway. What the courts have imposed on this child is nothing short of barbaric and unnecessarily cruel.

"Should any female be forced to carry her rapists child, should the time limit still stand?"

If they were to relax the limit for rape cases it would call into question what the point or purpose of the limit is, and why it should continue to hold for consensual cases.

If it about "viability" being an uncrossable moral line then to justify making distinctions on the circumstances of conception would need some work.

That's absolutely horrendous. Makes me wonder why it was left to 24 weeks, there is obviously more to that story. Nethertheless poor girl

I'm with Fay, I believe that abortion on demand and to term is the only logical thing to do, otherwise it's all just arbitrary.

That poor woman. There will be more to the story, and I suspect none of it will be pleasant.

No way. These views are why I can't describe myself as feminist ( by mumsnet standards) the foetus is a viable human now. How fucking traumatic would it be for the 14 year old to give birth to a dead baby rather than a live one? It's too late. The fucking evil man needs dealing with but terminating a healthy viable foetus is adding to the distress.

I believe in abortion on demand up to 24 weeks then not after.

What views are those goth girl? I haven't expressed any, I wanted to promote a discussion :)

I agree with the court. Whilst also being incredibly sympathetic to the young girl.

goth I think you still have to give birth before 20 weeks, don't you? What is the point that you have to do that?

Feel totally conflicted about full term abortion

20 weeks is when I had to give birth to my dead baby. She died inside me.

I still believe that women should be able to access abortion on demand to term, whether that means giving birth to their dead baby or not.

Just to clarify. I believe that women should have access to this. I trust that the numbers of women using this would be miniscule, as are the numbers of women seeking abortions between 20-24 weeks. I trust women to make the right decisions for them and their bodies. Would I do it? No. Would I judge anyone else who did it? No.