Gujarat HC denies abortion to minor rape survivor

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court denied a minor rape survivor permission to abort a 26-week pregnancy after a negative medical opinion. The court ordered the authorities to take good care of the victim and the child after the delivery.When the teen sought HC's permission to abort the foetus, the court sought an opinion from the doctors of SSG Hospital and Medical College at Vadodara. The report suggested that if the pregnancy is terminated at this gestational age, the baby is likely to be born alive and is highly likely to have complications such as respiratory distress syndrome, necrotising enterocolitis, intraventricular haemorrhage, which may require ventilatory support and NICU admission. So, the HC refused to direct the medical authorities to terminate the rape survivor's pregnancy. The HC further ordered a periodic health check-up of the victim and the newborn after the delivery.The court said that after ascertaining the wish of the minor victim and the physical condition of the newborn, the child's custody can be handed over to Specialised Adoption Agency, Vadodara, under the supervision of the Child Welfare Committee. The court further said that if the victim does not want to live with her family members, then she should be placed in the Women's Protection Home in Vadodara, "which shall in turn take care of her better future, including educational or vocational training, as per her wish".