New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has allowed the medical termination of pregnancy of a minor rape survivor 22 weeks into her pregnancy, considering the psychological complications.
The bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru ordered this after considering the report of the medical board constituted by it to evaluate the risk of continuing with the pregnancy. The report indicated that the pregnancy was 22 gestational weeks with a margin of error of plus/minus two weeks.
The FIR was lodged at the concerned police station under Section 376 IPC and Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
The victim got to know the news of her pregnancy very late and since now she was at an advanced stage of pregnancy, the termination of pregnancy by the concerned doctors could not be possible. Thus, a petition was filed before the high court.
The court, after interacting with the victim through videoconferencing, found that she was “under considerable distress”.
The Court has held: “In view of the report and psychological assessment of the petitioner, it does appear that the petitioner is at considerable risk of psychological complications if the pregnancy is continued.”
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Thus the court has ordered that the victim be admitted to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for medical termination of the pregnancy, subject to the results of certain tests to indicate any added risk.
Read the order here;
Minor-P-vs-State– India Legal Bureau