15-year-old girl gives birth to baby girl: abortion petition still pending in court

A 15-year-old minor rape survivor in Gujarat gave birth to a baby girl while her petition seeking permission for a medical termination of her 35-week pregnancy was pending before the Gujarat High Court.

The court has directed the state government to bear all expenses for six months, including the delivery expenses. The father of the 15-year-old rape victim from Ahmedabad had filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking her abortion. He had filed a complaint against the accused at the police station on October 24.

Following the petition, the high court had directed the girl to be examined by Sola Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Before the hospital submitted its report, the girl gave birth to a baby weighing 2.2 kg on the afternoon of October 28. According to the medical report, both the baby and the mother are healthy.

The order said that the petition has no merit as the delivery has already taken place. The high court directed the Ahmedabad district investigating officer and the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to ensure the rehabilitation of the minor mother and the newborn.

The court also directed that the child be handed over to a special adoption agency in Ahmedabad as per the girl’s wishes. A health check-up was ordered for both the mother and the child, and the Child Welfare Committee was entrusted with the task of monitoring their well-being.

If the girl does not want to stay with her family, she will be kept in a women’s shelter in Ahmedabad, where arrangements will be made for her education and vocational training, officials said.

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