10-year-old's pregnancy fuels Mexican abortion debate

[DaemonSeid]

Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- A pregnant 10-year-old, allegedly raped by her stepfather, has become the latest lightning rod in the country's heated abortion debate.

The girl's stepfather has been arrested. But advocates on both sides of the issue say their battle is just beginning.

"This girl is much more than an isolated case," said Adriana Ortiz-Ortega, a researcher at Mexico's National Autonomous University who has written two books on abortion in Mexico, "and there is much more influence now from conservative groups that are trying to prevent the legalization of abortion."

Abortion is legal in Mexico's capital city, but prohibited or significantly restricted in most of the country's states. The girl's home state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan peninsula, allows abortion in cases of rape during the first 90 days of the pregnancy. But the 10-year-old girl is at 17½ weeks, nearly a month past that limit.

Advocacy groups are calling for federal officials and the United Nations to investigate Quintana Roo's handling of the matter, claiming officials did not inform her of her abortion rights.

"We don't know what is happening, and the institution that is supposed to provide support and care for these minors hasn't been transparent. We're really asking for accountability," said Maria Luisa Sanchez Fuentes, director of the Information Group on Reproductive Choice.

State Attorney General Francisco Alor Quezada said he did not know whether officials had told the girl she had the option of pursuing an abortion, and he did not know how far the girl was into her pregnancy when her mother reported the assault to authorities last month.

He said the girl is in the custody of state protective services, and officials are closely monitoring her physical and psychological care.

"I do not think there is another instance in which the girl could be in better hands," he said Monday.

Child protective services officials in Quintana Roo said in a statement last week that the girl and the fetus were in good health.


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[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- A pregnant 10-year-old, allegedly raped by her stepfather, has become the latest lightning rod in the country's heated abortion debate.

The girl's stepfather has been arrested. But advocates on both sides of the issue say their battle is just beginning.

"This girl is much more than an isolated case," said Adriana Ortiz-Ortega, a researcher at Mexico's National Autonomous University who has written two books on abortion in Mexico, "and there is much more influence now from conservative groups that are trying to prevent the legalization of abortion."

Abortion is legal in Mexico's capital city, but prohibited or significantly restricted in most of the country's states. The girl's home state of Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan peninsula, allows abortion in cases of rape during the first 90 days of the pregnancy. But the 10-year-old girl is at 17½ weeks, nearly a month past that limit.

Advocacy groups are calling for federal officials and the United Nations to investigate Quintana Roo's handling of the matter, claiming officials did not inform her of her abortion rights.

"We don't know what is happening, and the institution that is supposed to provide support and care for these minors hasn't been transparent. We're really asking for accountability," said Maria Luisa Sanchez Fuentes, director of the Information Group on Reproductive Choice.

State Attorney General Francisco Alor Quezada said he did not know whether officials had told the girl she had the option of pursuing an abortion, and he did not know how far the girl was into her pregnancy when her mother reported the assault to authorities last month.

He said the girl is in the custody of state protective services, and officials are closely monitoring her physical and psychological care.

"I do not think there is another instance in which the girl could be in better hands," he said Monday.

Child protective services officials in Quintana Roo said in a statement last week that the girl and the fetus were in good health.


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um..okay

[DrPhil]

Ok.

Welp, I'm pro-abortion anyway.

[AOII Angel]

No ending would be a good one for this little girl. I don't see her getting a lot of psychological help in Mexico...then again, maybe I'm just biased against Mexico.

[squirrely girl]

Ummmmmmmm... allowing a TEN YEAR OLD girl to continue with a pregnancy is INSANE! I don't care where people fall along the abortion debate, but this is NOT SAFE. Pregnancy is HARD on an ADULT body, but a child?! WTF?!

[NinjaPoodle]

Originally Posted by squirrely girl

Ummmmmmmm... allowing a TEN YEAR OLD girl to continue with a pregnancy is INSANE! I don't care where people fall along the abortion debate, but this is NOT SAFE. Pregnancy is HARD on an ADULT body, but a child?! WTF?!

Ditto.

[KSUViolet06]

Really Mexico?

[WinniBug]

Originally Posted by squirrely girl

Ummmmmmmm... allowing a TEN YEAR OLD girl to continue with a pregnancy is INSANE! I don't care where people fall along the abortion debate, but this is NOT SAFE. Pregnancy is HARD on an ADULT body, but a child?! WTF?!

I would think that the psychological repercussions of an abortion would be worse.

[I.A.S.K.]

Originally Posted by WinniBug

I would think that the psychological repercussions of an abortion would be worse.

Um. I'd have to say its not. I mean being upset about the abortion is better than being DEAD after attempting to deliver/delivering a baby.

[epchick]

10 year olds having babies in this day and age aren't as uncommon as people think it is. Sad, yet true.

[tld221]

I'm pro-choice as well, but is a 10 year old in the right mind to choose? I mean she didn't ask to have this child.

Imma wait for the SVU ep to see how this plays out. Looking forward to the immigration twist to make it relevant in the US.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by tld221

Imma wait for the SVU ep to see how this plays out. Looking forward to the immigration twist to make it relevant in the US.

LOL

I agree with AOII Angel. There is no good outcome for this little girl, no matter which way the pendulum swings.

I could swear I saw an interview with a 10yo from Egypt who had given birth a couple years ago so I Wiki'd it. Couldn't find her, but there's a lot more. The youngest mother was age 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._birth_mothers

/factoftheday

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

LOL

I agree with AOII Angel. There is no good outcome for this little girl, no matter which way the pendulum swings.

I could swear I saw an interview with a 10yo from Egypt who had given birth a couple years ago so I Wiki'd it. Couldn't find her, but there's a lot more. The youngest mother was age 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._birth_mothers

/factoftheday

to the power of nine million

I'm not even going to click on that. That really is the wrongest thing I've hear in a while. 5!? How is that even posible?

[33girl]

Originally Posted by epchick

10 year olds having babies in this day and age aren't as uncommon as people think it is. Sad, yet true.

10 year olds have been having babies in underdeveloped countries for quite a while now. Some of the first tests with the Pill (back in the 1950s) were done in areas where girls were age 19 and had 8-9-10 kids.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

How is that even posible?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precocious_puberty It happens to boys, too btw.

Since we're on the subject, it seems to be normal in Bulgaria, too: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/worl...r_wedding.html. Now, THAT'S a sad story.

In regard to having babies young (not talking about conset right now, but the practice in general), how did something so horrifying become so common? Or is it just horrifying to us because we've made it uncommon?