SC allows 13-year-old rape survivor to abort her pregnancy

New Delhi : The Supreme Court today allowed a 13-year-old alleged rape survivor to terminate her 32-week-old pregnancy after taking note of a medical report. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar perused the medical report filed by a board of doctors of J J hospital Mumbai, set up by the court, and granted the nod for termination of pregnancy.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Centre, referred to the medical report and an earlier order passed by the apex court on a plea by another rape survivor whose pregnancy was at an advanced stage. The apex court asked the hospital authorities to conduct the termination of pregnancy preferably on September 8. “The girl would be admitted a day before,” it said.

The Mumbai-based rape survivor, a student of class seven had sought permission to abort the foetus. Section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act prohibits abortion of a foetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy.