For the Rape Victim in Paraguay

RD

In this case, what should a catholic do?

NBC News : Paraguay Rape Victim, 10, Denied Abortion; UN Raps Government
First published May 12th 2015, 11:59 am
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/paraguay-rape-victim-10-denied-abortion-un-raps-government-n357506

BM

Pray

BG

I would ensure the VICTIM, which is the child, has FULL protection from further RAPES by abortionists-- as well as accorded access to care for her and her child-- a legislature fund, and that this monster takes no further part in society, the girls life or the baby. The UN might tell us that the 10 year old child would be better served by ABORTIONISTS and will bully Paraguay by denying the poor their ROTTEN cargoes of food for the poor- BEWARE the tyrany of the western media- corporate- gates triad-- very dangerous

CMacL

Hang the rapist.

JC

Pray the child isn't the one punished for the crime.

JB

take not the life of the baby, the ten year old of the misplaced Dad of the Baby. All are in God's image

CF

I wrote on this last week. At 21 weeks the child has to give birth.

She ought to be closely monitored and given a c section under general. And advised/counseled/supported in terms of birth options and whether she wants to raise the child.

PÓC

Can the child actually have a viable birth. Surely her pelvis is too underdeveloped? Child brides in Africa end up with fistulas between vagina and anus and faecal incontInence after prolonged birth resulting in dead baby, and then being cast out of tribe and divorced due to not producing live baby and being unclean.

AC-J

Remove girl to safe place with another member of the family who can support her and baby while she grows up. She has already been violated once; another violation by adults will only increase her feeling of being used by them. If cost is a problem, get the father to pay, or let the state step in,

GO’C

I read that carrying the child full term and having a cesarean section is safer for both the girl and the baby. God protect them.

AS

O my God the monster she is only a baby herself

HMcL

"Paraguay has refused to provide treatment to save the life of the girl, who is five months pregnant, "including safe and therapeutic abortion in a timely manner.""

Exactly HOW is an abortion supposed to "save the life" of this poor wee lassie?

[Perhaps like a Caesarian would, namely ONLY in cases when small and not sufficiently elastic pelvis would make natural birth a lethal procedure. Not known in advance, I presume.]

MT

"...and therapeutic abortion..." Now I've heard everything!

MH

The fistula issue mentioned above is not about child brides - in parts of Africa mothers of all ages suffer this horror which is entirely due to female genital mutilation. Matercare I believe is the charity with the most information about this. As for this child - abortion would only make things worse - violating the girl a second time and murdering an innocent while having no effect at all on the rapist. Abortion is an evil and cannot bring good to this situation. The idea that because of her age her pelvis may not be developed enough is questionable. If it were an issue - doctors and midwives would be aware of it but I suspect that God knows what He is doing. Once a young woman reaches puberty and can physically conceive I have no doubt that in most cases she will be capable of giving birth naturally. And this would be the most natural and beneficial outcome for this girl and her baby. The rapist has done his part and should be dealt with by the justice system. His sentence should include a financial levy towards the upkeep of both his victims.

PÓC

Girls Not Brides Blog: Fistula, a silent tragedy for child brides
A longer version of this post appeared in the Life and Style section of ThisDay newspaper, Nigeria, on June 2, 2013.
http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/fistula-a-silent-tragedy-for-child-brides/

JTB

We are going to hear many more examples of tragic cases like these, the object of which reportage is not to rouse pity for the victim(s) but to use their tragedy to vilify and excoriate those who are pro-life; to bracket them along with the rapists as heartless, cruel monsters, as violators of children's "rights", as intolerant fanatics - and thus crush all resistance to the global imposition of "abortion rights". That this child's plight is dreadful is beyond doubt, but as long as there are ways of saving and healing her without the destruction of the life she is carrying, these should be the primary recourse.

HGL

Allow her a Caesarian later, if that is necessary to save her, might even not be the case.

LifeNews : 11-Year-Old Rape Victim Gives Birth to Twins, Babies Saved Thanks to Abortion Ban
Steven Ertelt May 23, 2014 | 4:58PM Washington, DC
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/05/23/11-year-old-rape-victim-gives-birth-to-twins-babies-saved-thanks-to-abortion-ban/

"Can the child actually have a viable birth."

Yes.

"Surely her pelvis is too underdeveloped?"

Maybe, that is where Caesarian Section might come in. On the other hand, pelves while growing [at that age! I meant to say] are more elastic than they become later.

In extreme cases, nine year olds can get pregnant (while at other extreme a girl might not be able until 18, while 12 and some months is the normal age), which God would not have made that way if it were automatically lethal.

"she is only a baby herself"

No. One can get a baby, one is certainly a baby no longer oneself.

PÓC , from your article:

"pregnant at 12 and developed an obstetric fistula after prolonged labour and her baby’s death"

Is that what happens every time when a girl gets pregnant at twelve? Or just sometimes?

"Fistula is a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of women, sadly 90% of them in Africa."

I think in Africa there would be more women than that who start motherhood at 12. In the case mentioned, there are other circumstances that shouldn't be, for moral reasons.

"who was married to her uncle at 9"

At 9 – below Canonic age of Catholic Church [traditionally 12, dispensations only papal and given only one half year below]. Muslims are wrong on this one.

To her uncle – too close relatives. At least under New law. Muslims are wrong on this one too.

Was married – I don't know if she was given a choice or not. If not, that is wrong too.

BUT the case of Hadiza's fistula is not a medical indication that the rape victim of Paraguay should have abortion, not even necessarily a Caesarian, that would be a further question, when birth gets started.

She is not named, but her stepfather is:

"Gilberto Benitez Zarate is accused of raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter."

Divorce and remarriage? Would he have done so if the daughter had been his? More important, would her real father from whom she was separated, have done so?

From the article by life site news now:

"However, she said her daughter would need to change schools to avoid being bullied by other pupils."

Wouldn't school compulsion be to blame for that, if so?