13-year-old rape survivor gives birth in Madhya Pradesh's Guna

Guna, September 9

A 13-year-old rape survivor gave birth to a baby at the district hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the girl’s family lodged a complaint on August 24 after they found out about her pregnancy.

The teenager gave birth to a baby in the district hospital on Friday, women police station in-charge Poonam Savita said.

The girl was raped in March this year and was threatened not to talk to anyone about the assault, the official said.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered under Section 376 (rape) of the IPC and the POCSO Act, and the accused was arrested on August 25, she said.

The girl was 30 weeks’ pregnant when the complaint was lodged, and her parents approached a court for termination of pregnancy, but it was too late, she said.

Both the girl and the baby are doing well, she said, adding that a team from the Child Welfare Committee will counsel the survivor and take a decision about the infant’s care in consultation with the doctors.