HYDERABAD: After 26 weeks of ordeal, a 12-year-old gang-rape victim finally got relief as the Telangana High Court on Friday permitted her to undergo medical termination of pregnancy.
The victim’s mother, a domestic worker, had approached the high court on Thursday after Gandhi Hospital doctors refused to terminate the pregnancy citing medical problems.
The bench headed by Justice B Vijaysen Reddy then directed the Gandhi Hospital doctors to refer the matter to a medical board and submit a report by Friday morning. The doctors then replied that if the high court permits them, they would perform the abortion.
It may be recalled that the 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by 10 persons in Neredmet in the city.
The police registered cases against the accused under POCSO Act and arrested them.
As per the orders of the high court, the Gandhi hospital authorities submitted a report on Friday stating that termination is not advisable and they would proceed if the high court permits it.
Dr M Raja Rao, superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, told TNIE: “The pregnancy is well into the second trimester. Terminating at this stage poses severe health risks to the young mother”.
“Medical guidelines typically restrict terminations beyond 20 weeks unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, be it humanitarian or any such grounds, the termination can be done only with court orders. In this case, our evaluation found that proceeding with a termination would endanger the girl’s health significantly,” the Gandhi Hospital superintendent explained.
Support measures put in place: CWC chairperson
Child Welfare Committee Chairperson Medchal Raja Reddy said: “When the girl’s mother first approached the hospital, we informed her that, medically, termination was not advisable due to the advanced stage of the pregnancy”. “Despite this medical advice, she pursued legal recourse, resulting in the High Court’s directive to reassess the situation”, Reddy said.
Immediate support measures have been put in place for the young victim, said Raja Reddy and emphasised the CWC’s commitment to providing the necessary aid and future care plans for the child. “We have provided a compensation amount of Rs 25,000 to support the immediate needs of the victim,” he stated. The 12-year-old victim is a school dropout. Her elder sister is also a school dropout and their mother works as a domestic help.
It can be recalled that the Neredmet police in June registered a case based on the complaint filed by the victim’s mother. Neredmet police, in the last week of June, apprehended 10 accused involved in the offence.