KOCHI: Considering the likelihood of her pregnancy causing a grave injury that might remain a scar throughout her life, the Kerala High Court recently allowed the medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) of a 13-year-old girl allegedly impregnated by her 14-year-old brother.
Subsequently, a medical team conducted the abortion. Though the risk factor of the abortion being very high, as the foetus was almost fully developed by then, the High Court took the firm decision to allow the procedure in order to help the girl and her family relieve the trauma of the incident.
According to those involved in the case, right from the lawyer who appeared on behalf of the victim’s father seeking permission for the MTP to the eight-member medical board, the case put them to a real test to say the least, as it was the first time they were handling such a complex situation. However, with the MTP successfully carried out last month, the young survivor is now recuperating.
“We have seen several cases of minors getting pregnant following sexual abuse. But this was something rare. We were shattered. There was no other way out, but to opt for MTP to help the girl and her family come out of the trauma. The medical board cited certain risk factors because the pregnancy has crossed the period of legal MTP under the MTP Act 2021. But the HC decided to permit the procedure because it would have remained a scar in her life,” said counsellor K Rakesh.