The court directed the state to bear the survivor’s expenses for six months and ensure rehabilitation for the minor and her child.
A minor rape survivor gave birth to a baby girl during the Gujarat High Court hearing on a petition seeking permission to terminate her 35-week-old pregnancy. The court directed the state government to bear all expenses for six months, including delivery costs.
The father of the 15-year-old rape survivor from Ahmedabad had moved the Gujarat High Court seeking medical termination of her pregnancy. He had also lodged a complaint against the accused at the police station on October 24.
Following the petition, the High Court had directed Sola Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad to conduct a medical examination of the minor. Before the hospital could submit its report, the girl delivered a baby weighing 2.2 kg on the afternoon of October 28. According to the medical report, both the baby and the mother are healthy.
In its order, the court observed that the plea for medical termination had become “infructuous” since the delivery had already taken place. The High Court instructed the investigating officer of Ahmedabad district and the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to ensure the rehabilitation of both the minor mother and the newborn.
