pregnant 10-year-old Girl 'Denied Life-Saving Abortion after being Raped by Stepfather'

A 10-year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather has been denied the abortion she desperately needs.

The child was found to be 21 weeks pregnant after arriving at hospital in Asunción, Paraguay, this month complaining of stomach pains.

Amnesty International reports that the girl’s pregnancy came as a result of being raped by her stepfather, but she has allegedly been denied a life-saving abortion and sent to a centre for young
mothers instead.

Latin America is known for its strict anti-abortion laws, with five of the seven countries in the world where termination is banned in all instances there. Abortion is legal in Paraguay, however, when the life of the woman or girl is at risk.

The director of the hospital in Asunción acknowledged publicly that the girl was in danger and on 28 April her mother formally requested an abortion. Why she has been sent to a centre for young mothers is not known.