10-Year-Old Girl Gives Birth

On November 15, a 10-year-old mother gave birth to a baby weighing 1.5 kg after 31 weeks of pregnancy. The girl had taken to hospital with contractions and potential life-threatening complications. The girl gave birth to the baby via a cesarean section.

Preterm delivery in a Mexican hospital was the result of the pregnancy of the 10-year-old girl. The premature baby is in a rehabilitation ward, and its condition is considered good. The mother is also recovering, she is allowed to visit the baby and to feed him with the breast.

The case attracted the attention of Attorney General of the country, and the law enforcement agencies are now trying to find out whether there was the fact of raping, or the girl had a sexual contact voluntarily.

According to the outdated laws of the country, a girl voluntarily can have sex at the age of 12. The girls, who become pregnant before the age of 12, must prove they have been raped in order to appeal for the right to have an abortion. It means that, according to the laws of Mexico, young pregnant women have no right to make an abortion, if they cannot prove being a victim of a sexual offense. If a girl is not 12 years old and she will make an abortion illegally, she may be sentenced to imprisonment or a fine. At present, the laws of the country are being revised because of the numerous demands of human rights organizations.