BOGOTA, Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Paraguay has been told by a leading human rights watchdog to protect the life and health of a pregnant 10-year-old girl allegedly raped by her stepfather but denied an abortion in a case that has sparked a global outcry.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights intervened this week to demand the Paraguayan government act to protect the girl who is six months pregnant, warning she was four times more likely to die in childbirth than an adult.
The plight of the girl, known as Mainumby, triggered intense debate in Paraguay about the country’s strict law on abortion, which is banned in the predominately Catholic country in all cases except when the mother’s life is in danger.
“(The) girl Mainumby faces a serious and urgent situation in that her life, health and personal integrity are threatened and at risk,” said the U.S.-based commission, part of the 35-member Organization of American States.
The ruling makes it clear that Paraguay needs to step up care for the girl and ensure she receives all the medical treatment she needs and that she can also participate in decisions affecting her health.
The ruling, handed down on Monday, comes after Paraguay’s health minister refused a request from the girl’s mother in late April to terminate the pregnancy, a decision described by human rights group Amnesty International as “tantamount to torture”.
Paraguay has until Thursday to respond to the commission’s ruling. If it fails to implement the recommendations, campaigners can take the case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica, the region’s top human rights court.
Last month police arrested the girl’s 42-year-old stepfather, who is accused of raping the child. He denies the charges, according to local media.
The girl’s mother has also been imprisoned, charged with breaching her care of duty.
