A 10-year-old girl in Mexico has recently given birth to a boy after a premature 31 week pregnancy. The girl was allegedly raped by her stepfather, who is now being held in custody. The case has brought into light Mexico's stance on abortion. Supporters from both side of the issue have agreed the fight has just begun. “This girl is much more than an isolated case,” said Adriana Ortiz-Ortega, a researcher at Mexico's National Autonomous University who has written two books on abortion in Mexico, “and there is much more influence now from conservative groups that are trying to prevent the legalization of abortion.” In Mexico, every state has the right to their own abortion laws. In the nation's capital abortion is legal, but most other states severely restrict or outright prohibit it. In the girl's case, the state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan peninsula only allows abortion on the grounds of rape during the first 90 days of pregnancy; otherwise the state law protects life as defined “from the moment of conception to natural death.” Advocacy groups have called on investigations from the United Nations and federal officials in the handling of the issue by Quintana Roo officials.the claim is that the girl was not informed of her abortion rights. “We don't know what is happening, and the institution that is supposed to provide support and care for these minors hasn't been transparent. We're really asking for accountability,” said Maria Luisa Sanchez Fuentes, director of the Information Group on Reproductive Choice. The State Attorney General Francisco Alor Quezada said he was not sure whether or not officials told the girl she had the option, or how far she was into pregnancy when the mother reported the assault last month. He also mentioned the girl was under state protective services custody and officials are monitoring her physical and psychological care. “I do not think there is another instance in which the girl could be in better hands,” he said Monday. Quintana Roo state legislator Maria Hadad criticised the official state line, telling Mexican broadcaster Channel 10 that it was not “just a high-risk pregnancy. It's a pregnancy that puts the girl at risk.” The girl was rushed to the hospital and reportedly had several dangerous complications, including seizures. The child was delivered on October 22 by caesarean section. Mexico has a large Roman Catholic following and the church exerts quite a bit of influence. The church vocally opposes abortions in Mexico and the debate gained momentum in 2007 when Mexico City passed a law legalizing abortion during the first three months of pregnancy. Last year, a girl identified only as Amalia, gave birth two weeks prematurely at the age of 11. The girl had told her mother she had been repeatedly raped by her stepfather when she was 10 and was never informed of her rights to an abortion by doctors according to women's rights groups. This latest incident has brought the legal age of consent, rape and abortion matters into Mexico's spotlight alongside its ever troubling drug and gang issues. BM
