14 DAY TRIAL // On Monday, June 8, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a resolution demanding that the Paraguayan government allow a pregnant 10-year-old girl to undergo an abortion.
Medical experts in Paraguay discovered the pregnancy back in April, when the girl's mother had her see a doctor. The 10-year-old was complaining of stomach pains and her mother assumed that she had a tumor.
When told that her young daughter did not have a tumor growing in her belly but was instead 21 weeks pregnant, the woman appealed to the country's high officials and asked them that they let her have an abortion.
Since Paraguayan laws only allow women whose life is in clear danger to terminate a pregnancy, her request was denied. Human rights organizations are now trying to overturn this decision.
The girl was abused by her stepfather, is in danger
Shortly after the 10-year-old girl was found to be pregnant, it was revealed that the father of her child was her abusive stepfather. Despite trying to evade authorities, the man was eventually arrested.
Although the initial medical report compiled with doctors with Paraguay's Ministry of Health stated that the pregnancy was not a risk to the girl's life and, therefore, need not be terminated, another report released on May 12 by another team of specialists showed otherwise.
In this report, which the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is basing its resolution on, it is said that her pregnancy is a clear threat to the girl's life and that terminating it is the right thing to do.
Thus, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights says that her pregnancy puts the 10-year-old at risk of postpartum hemorrhaging, infections and damage to organs and systems. Hence, the Paraguayan government must do the right thing and allow an abortion.
“Denying a young girl essential medical care is nothing short of cruel and inhumane treatment, and a gross violation of her fundamental human rights.”
“The government must allow doctors to do their job and provide immediate care to this young rape survivor,” argues Lilian Sepúlveda, vice president of the Global Legal Program at the Center for Reproductive Rights.
The human rights body expects a prompt answer
As mentioned, it was this past June 8 that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights officially requested that the Paraguayan government revise its abortion laws and allow this 10-year-old raped by her stepfather to undergo surgery and have her pregnancy terminated.
When issuing its resolution, the human rights body asked that the Paraguayan government respond to its demands in 72 hours' time. This means that the country's high officials have until this coming June 11 to make up their mind and formulate an answer to the Commission's request.