Guardianship of disabled rape victim’s foetus debated in court

A JUDGE postponed debate on Wednesday night over whether a guardian should be appointed for the six-month-old foetus of a mentally disabled rape victim, in a case that has attracted the involvement of Governor Jeb Bush and pro-choice activists.

The American Civil Liberties Union and two other groups filed a brief on Tuesday after Bush ordered state lawyers to seek the appointment of a guardian for the foetus.

The brief claims that such a judgment would go against a 1989 Florida Supreme Court ruling, which said foetuses cannot have guardians because they are not legally people.