Mumbai: The Bombay high court has permitted a 16-year-old rape victim to abort her 24 weeks pregnancy. The foetus is only 600 gm and if it is not aborted now, it will be pose a risk to the life of the girl, as per the report of a medical committee submitted to the court.
Acting on the report, the court has allowed the abortion. As per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act; the court’s permission is required for abortion of foetus above twenty weeks
A division bench of Justice Anil Menon and Justice Bharati Dangre while allowing the girl to abort her pregnancy noted the fact that if the girl were disallowed from aborting the pregnancy, there would be an adverse impact on her mental and physical health. The judges also took into account the fact that if the child is allowed to take birth, the chances of its survival were very low.
According to medical reports of Rajawadi hospital, furnished by the girl as well as the medical board stated that the weight of the foetus was only 600 grams, which is much lesser than the average weight.
In her petition, the girl who was raped by the friend of her relatives and it came to the notice of the victim’s mother when the victim complained about stomachache. Initially, she was admitted in Rajawadi hospital. The doctors said that further delay in aborting her foetus would cause risk to her life.
