Nine-year-old rape victim has abortion
Published: Thursday 05 March 2009 08:40 UTC

In Brazil, a nine-year-old girl who was expecting a child after she was raped by her stepfather has had an abortion. Local authorities said the procedure was entirely lawful since the pregnancy had placed the girl's life in danger. In Brazil, abortion is only permitted in cases of rape or when pregnancy threatens the life of the mother.

Despite this, the Roman Catholic church has threatened to charge the mother of the girl with murder. A lawyer for the archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, which lies in the northeast of the country, says the child should have brought the twins into the world.

The stepfather, who began abusing the girl when she was six, is now in prison.

SOURCE



Abortion for 9yr old rape victim is murder says Catholic archbishop
By Gary Duffy
BBC News, Sao Paulo

A Brazilian archbishop says all those who helped a child rape victim secure an abortion are to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

The girl, aged nine, who lives in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, became pregnant with twins.

It is alleged that she had been sexually assaulted over a number of years by her stepfather.

The excommunication applies to the child's mother and the doctors involved in the procedure.

The pregnancy was terminated on Wednesday.

Abortion is only permitted in Brazil in cases of rape and where the mother's life is at risk and doctors say the girl's case met both these conditions.

Police believe that the girl at the centre of the case had been sexually abused by her step-father since she was six years old.

The fact that she was pregnant with twins was only discovered after she was taken to hospital in Pernambuco complaining of stomach pains.

Her stepfather was arrested last week, allegedly as he tried to escape to another region of the country.

He is also suspected of abusing the girl's physically handicapped older sister who is now 14.

The Catholic Church tried to intervene to prevent the abortion going ahead but the procedure was carried out on Wednesday.

Now a Church spokesman says all those involved, including the child's mother and the doctors, are to be excommunicated.

The Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, told Brazil's TV Globo that the law of God was above any human law.

He said the excommunication would not apply to the child because of her age, but would affect all those who ensured the abortion was carried out.

However, doctors at the hospital said they had to take account of the welfare of the girl, and that she was so small that her uterus did not have the ability to contain one child let alone two.

While the action of the Church in opposing an abortion for a young rape victim is not unprecedented, it has attracted criticism from women's rights groups in Brazil.

SOURCE

Insanity.

The abortion was legal. case closed. what legal basis does the church have?

coolcat said:

None. Moral witchhunts are their specialty. I wish there was something we American could organize against these barbaric freaks.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

You have loads of those freaks to worry about at home first though.


I feel a prediction coming on....

[Moving the thread to P&R]

Teacher said:

Yeah but they could never ever get away with prosecuting a woman with murder. There they probably could.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

They would like to though, charge doctors, nurses and the women who had abortions done. Aren't some people really sick?

Teacher said:

Oh I know they want to but they can't. Believe me, the day they get that shit passed is the day there is mayhem in this country. Not revealing details but there would be retaliation.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Could I help?

Teacher said:

I'd fly you over for the priveledge!

I would like to know,why the church feels it has any rights in a personal matter. It is none of there business!

Excommunicated?

Perfect. They need to break free from those crazy people.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Now I'm in the distinct place of terrible indecision... I can't decide if I want those church loons to get power

Teacher said:

brazil just can't stay out of the news lately! this story is so sad! i hope this little girl will get all the help and protection she needs!

Not that it makes this right but the headline says "charged" and the article says "threatens to charge" .....this sounds like piss and wind, the abortion was legal....case closed

I thought this thread was going to be about a mother killing her 9 year old daughters rapist. I tell you, if I found out that anyone had touched my girls I would take that bastards life with my bare hands.

In this case, I agree with Erin - good. Let them be excommunicated. Who would want to belong to such a church that has no compassion for that poor little girl and her family and indeed put her life at risk by forcing her to carry and give birth to twins! There are enough risks to a grown woman carrying twins, let alone a 9 year old little girl I'm willing to stake serious money on the fact that had she had those babies that church would have had fuck all to do with the family.

Unfortunately hypocrisy is rife in many organised religions

I thought this thread was going to be about a mother killing her 9 year old daughters rapist. I tell you, if I found out that anyone had touched my girls I would take that bastards life with my bare hands.

In this case, I agree with Erin - good. Let them be excommunicated. Who would want to belong to such a church that has no compassion for that poor little girl and her family and indeed put her life at risk by forcing her to carry and give birth to twins! There are enough risks to a grown woman carrying twins, let alone a 9 year old little girl I'm willing to stake serious money on the fact that had she had those babies that church would have had fuck all to do with the family.

Unfortunately hypocrisy is rife in many organised religions