Rape victim may have to carry pregnancy to term

Minor allegedly abused by her father said to be eight months pregnant

Allegedly raped and impregnated by her biological father, a 16-year-old girl may have to carry the pregnancy to term, the police said on Monday.

The girl, a native of Shabad, was subjected to medical testing to assess the status of her pregnancy on Monday. While a report is still awaited, police have learnt that the pregnancy has advanced into third trimester, to a point where an abortion is ruled out. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act does not permit foetal abortion beyond 20 weeks of gestation. “We were told the victim is around eight months pregnant. As the investigation proceeds, a test to establish paternity of the foetus has to be done. In this case, we may even wait until the girl delivers the child,” a police official informed.

Meanwhile, investigators say efforts are on to lodge the victim, who is now in a state of mental trauma, in a State home for children. The accused — the girl’s father, whose name the police have requested to withhold to prevent identification of the victim — will be subjected to a potency test before making the arrest. The 40-year-old man was also charged with the murder of his wife, the victim’s mother, about a decade ago, but was recently acquitted. He had allegedly been assaulting his daughter over the last 10 months.

The plight of the girl came to light on Sunday evening when the girl’s family approached the Shabad Police.