Pregnant rape victim, 10, denied abortion in Paraguay

Paraguay’s decision to deny a pregnant 10-year-old girl an abortion after she was allegedly raped by her stepfather has sparked a national debate over the country’s strict abortion laws.

Paraguay’s health minister refused a request from the girl’s mother to terminate the pregnancy, but rights groups say the ban could put the girl’s health at risk and is “tantamount to torture”.

The girl, who cannot be named, is more than five months pregnant.

In Paraguay, abortion is allowed when the mother’s life is in danger. In all other cases, it is a crime.

The girl’s mother has been imprisoned, charged with breaching her duty of care.

Health minister Antonio Barrios told Paraguay’s ABC newspaper that doctors and a psychologist were providing care to the girl.

“There are no indications that the girl’s health is at risk... we are not, from any point of view, in favour of terminating a pregnancy,” said Barrios.

The girl’s mother reported last year that her husband was sexually abusing her daughter but the authorities took no action, according to local media reports.

Prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the 42-year-old stepfather, who is on the run.

The case has put a spotlight on the taboo issue of incest in the conservative South American nation.

Two births a day occur among girls aged 10 to 14 in Paraguay, and many are the result of sexual abuse by relatives and stepfathers.

Rights group Amnesty International said making the girl continue with the pregnancy was a form of torture.

“Forcing this child to carry a baby to term, against her will, could have devastating health consequences,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Amnesty’s Americas deputy director.

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for teenage girls.