An 11-year-old rape victim gave birth in Argentina Tuesday after she was apparently denied an abortion by authorities, infuriating women’s-choice advocates in the country who have fought to legalize the procedure.
The girl, referred to as “Lucia” to protect her identity, underwent a Caesarean section Tuesday in the 23rd week of her pregnancy, the Guardian reports. Lucia, whose baby is not expected to survive, had previously begged officials to “remove what the old man put inside me.”
That man is the 65-year-old partner of Lucia’s grandmother – who took custody of Lucia and her siblings in 2015, after her two older sisters were abused by their mother’s partner, the Guardian reported.
Lucia attempted to commit suicide twice upon learning of her pregnancy Jan. 23. She was hospitalized and later placed in state care as a result of apparent self-inflicted lesions, the outlet said.
The birth of Lucia’s child Tuesday was widely condemned by women’s rights activists in the country, who say Lucia and her mother repeatedly asked for her to have an abortion – a request that was delayed by nearly five weeks, according to the BBC .
Debate over who the girl’s guardian was complicated the planned abortion, further exacerbated by several doctors who refused to carry out the procedure because of their personal beliefs.
As The Washington Post has reported, Argentine law allows abortion in instances of rape, when the mother is mentally disabled or if there is a serious risk to her health.
In any other instance, a woman could be imprisoned for up to four years for undergoing the procedure.
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