Read Next
Human Interest
God called him to start a ministry that's 'equipping the church to defend life'
Lisa Bast
·Spotlight Articles
International·By Bridget Sielicki
Court rules teen survivor of sexual assault can abort 31-week baby
The Delhi High Court in India has ruled that a 16-year-old rape survivor can abort her preborn baby, despite the baby's advanced gestational age at 31 weeks.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that a 16-year-old teen can abort her 31-week preborn baby.
The court claimed the girl should not have the burden of bearing and raising a child.
Third-trimester abortion is the intentional killing of a preborn child, which comes with many risks and which is not medically necessary.
The court also undermined its own ruling by stating that if the child survives the abortion, he or she should be placed for adoption.
News reports say the Delhi High Court ruled that the teenager could abort her 31-week preborn child because "she should not be expected to bear and raise a child." But adoption is legal in India.
The court also insinuated that protecting the life of the preborn child affects the mother's ability to "live with dignity."
“Thus, it was held that it would not be appropriate to expect the minor rape victim to take the burden of giving birth and raising a child, especially in a situation where she herself is passing through the age of adolescence,” Justice Mini Pushkarna said.
Typically, abortion in India is allowed up to 24 weeks for rape survivors, though a court can allow abortion at even later stages in certain instances.
In its ruling, the court also noted that should the preborn child survive the abortion, he or she should be given all possible medical care and then later placed for adoption.
This very stipulation undermines the court's reasoning that abortion is necessary so that the girl does not have to raise the child. The very availability of adoption should negate any reason for the child's death in the womb.
At 31 weeks, the preborn child is capable of living outside of the womb if given proper medical treatment. An abortion at this late stage is a gruesome, multi-day procedure in which the mother is first given mifepristone to starve the preborn baby of oxygen and nutrients. She may also get an injection of digoxin, which causes fetal cardiac arrest.
The preborn child typically dies within 24 hours of the digoxin. On day two, the mother is given misoprostol to induce labor. Usually, she will deliver her dead child within 24 hours of starting the misoprostol.
The entire process is described in this video by former abortionist Dr. Patti Giebink:
Third trimester abortion also comes with a host of medical risks, including incomplete abortion, cervical laceration, infection, hemorrhage, uterine rupture, and even death.
Notably, though the Delhi Court ruled the teen could abort so that she could avoid "the burden of giving birth," an abortion does not eliminate the fact that she must give birth to a dead baby. Labor and delivery are still going to happen with an induction abortion at 31 weeks, whether the baby is born dead or alive.
The abortion industry likes to pretend that an abortion simply makes the baby disappear, but this is not reality. Instead, the teen will now live not only with the trauma of sexual assault, but also with the trauma of delivering a dead child.
Rape is a tragic, traumatic experience, but so is abortion. An innocent preborn child never deserves to die for the sins of his or her father.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Lisa Bast
·
Guest Column
Right to Life UK
·
International
Cassy Cooke
·
International
Bridget Sielicki
·
International
Angeline Tan
·
Issues
Cassy Cooke
·
Issues
Bridget Sielicki
·
Politics
Bridget Sielicki
·
Human Interest
Bridget Sielicki
·International
Bridget Sielicki
·
Analysis
Bridget Sielicki
·International·By Bridget Sielicki
Court rules teen survivor of sexual assault can abort 31-week baby
The Delhi High Court in India has ruled that a 16-year-old rape survivor can abort her preborn baby, despite the baby's advanced gestational age at 31 weeks.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that a 16-year-old teen can abort her 31-week preborn baby.
The court claimed the girl should not have the burden of bearing and raising a child.
Third-trimester abortion is the intentional killing of a preborn child, which comes with many risks and which is not medically necessary.
The court also undermined its own ruling by stating that if the child survives the abortion, he or she should be placed for adoption.
News reports say the Delhi High Court ruled that the teenager could abort her 31-week preborn child because "she should not be expected to bear and raise a child." But adoption is legal in India.
The court also insinuated that protecting the life of the preborn child affects the mother's ability to "live with dignity."
“Thus, it was held that it would not be appropriate to expect the minor rape victim to take the burden of giving birth and raising a child, especially in a situation where she herself is passing through the age of adolescence,” Justice Mini Pushkarna said.
Typically, abortion in India is allowed up to 24 weeks for rape survivors, though a court can allow abortion at even later stages in certain instances.
In its ruling, the court also noted that should the preborn child survive the abortion, he or she should be given all possible medical care and then later placed for adoption.
This very stipulation undermines the court's reasoning that abortion is necessary so that the girl does not have to raise the child. The very availability of adoption should negate any reason for the child's death in the womb.
At 31 weeks, the preborn child is capable of living outside of the womb if given proper medical treatment. An abortion at this late stage is a gruesome, multi-day procedure in which the mother is first given mifepristone to starve the preborn baby of oxygen and nutrients. She may also get an injection of digoxin, which causes fetal cardiac arrest.
The preborn child typically dies within 24 hours of the digoxin. On day two, the mother is given misoprostol to induce labor. Usually, she will deliver her dead child within 24 hours of starting the misoprostol.
The entire process is described in this video by former abortionist Dr. Patti Giebink:
Third trimester abortion also comes with a host of medical risks, including incomplete abortion, cervical laceration, infection, hemorrhage, uterine rupture, and even death.
Notably, though the Delhi Court ruled the teen could abort so that she could avoid "the burden of giving birth," an abortion does not eliminate the fact that she must give birth to a dead baby. Labor and delivery are still going to happen with an induction abortion at 31 weeks, whether the baby is born dead or alive.
The abortion industry likes to pretend that an abortion simply makes the baby disappear, but this is not reality. Instead, the teen will now live not only with the trauma of sexual assault, but also with the trauma of delivering a dead child.
Rape is a tragic, traumatic experience, but so is abortion. An innocent preborn child never deserves to die for the sins of his or her father.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Lisa Bast
·Guest Column
Right to Life UK
·International
Cassy Cooke
·International
Bridget Sielicki
·International
Angeline Tan
·Issues
Cassy Cooke
·Issues
Bridget Sielicki
·Politics
Bridget Sielicki
·Human Interest
Bridget Sielicki
·International
Bridget Sielicki
·Analysis
Bridget Sielicki
·