Indian Rape Victim, 10, Gives Birth Without Knowing It

Girl's parents told her the bulge in her stomach was a stone
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 17, 2017 8:47 AM CDT
Indian Rape Victim, 10, Gives Birth Without Knowing It
Statuettes from a garden in Chandigarh, where the 10-year-old gave birth.   (Getty Images/Skouatroulio)

A 10-year-old rape victim in India has given birth, though the BBC reports she is unaware of that fact. The girl's case grabbed headlines after it reached as high as the Indian Supreme Court, which in July denied her family's request for an abortion. While the court battles played out, the girl, who is said to have been raped by her uncle, was told she had a large stone in her stomach. One of the girl's doctors at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh tells CNN her parents told her the surgery was related to kidney stones, and barred the medical team from telling her about the pregnancy.

The baby girl was born Thursday morning at 35 weeks by C-section, as anticipated; the baby weighs 5.5 pounds. The newborn will be put up for adoption, with the girl's parents saying they want nothing to do with the baby (so much so they did not even look at her, reports the BBC). The arguments against abortion were that the girl was too far along (well past 20 weeks at the time, that being the legal cutoff in India barring risks to the mother's life) and that the abortion would be far too risky for her health. The BBC reports officials say she is believed to be the youngest child to have given birth in the country. (Britain's youngest mother was slightly older.)

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