A 14-year-old was repeatedly raped by her employer, who abandoned her on learning of her being pregnant. She moved several courts seeking permission to abort the child, but they were turned down.
And finally, when the moment of the baby’s birth arrived on Wednesday, the local health centre refused her assistance, resulting in her giving birth in an ambulance on the way to a hospital.
But despite the trying conditions, both the mother and the baby are safe and will go home on Saturday, reports Indian Express.
Here is a brief timeline of the shocking case:
- In June, 2016, the girl’s family lodged an FIR against fellow villager Asif Ali, who had employed the 14-year-old girl as a cook, on charges of rape
- At that time, the girl’s medical report said she was 19 weeks and six days pregnant
- The man was arrested and sent to jail
- On July 26, the girl’s family moved a lower court seeking permission to carry out an abortion
- On August 4, they moved a fast track court, which turned down the plea
- On August 22, the girl’s family moved the Allahabad High Court. Five days later, the court asked the girl’s father to approach a chief medical officer (CMO) to check whether it was feasible
- On September 3, the doctor turned down the plea for an abortion
- On September 5, the family finally turned to district magistrate seeking help. Seven days later, the district doctors refused to carry out an abortion because of the pregnancy was too advanced, leaving the girl with no option but to go ahead with the delivery
- On Wednesday night at 11 pm, the girl was taken to the local community health centre in Shergarh in an ambulance after she complained of labour pains. The auxiliary nurse midwife checked her and asked them to prepare for the delivery, reports Hindustan Times
- But after she learned the girl was a victim of rape, she reportedly told the family to go to the district hospital in Bareilly. She also refused to arrange for an ambulance and asked them to hire an auto-rickshaw
- The family called an ambulance and the girl delivered the baby in the vehicle, when they were about half an hour away from the hospital
Meanwhile, a childless couple in Jabalpur has offered to adopt the baby.