Abortion for 9-year-old rape victim

THE EDITOR: Rosa at nine years old became pregnant following a rape. Rosa is the daughter of migrant farm labourers who left their home in Nicaragua to work in Costa Rica. When the story hit the media in Costa Rica, the entire situation was treated as a freak show.

There was no concern for Rosa. Worse, the authorities in Costa Rica held her father as a suspect and so sought to remove parental rights. Rosa’s young parents, at 28 and 25 were both illiterate and had no idea of their rights. A small Commission from Nicaragua visited the family and managed to take them home. This group of women learned that Rosa’s wish was not to have the baby. But with all the publicity the case had attracted, it was very difficult to find doctors willing to do the termination, especially given the risk of complications in such a young patient.

On purely medical grounds the continuation of the pregnancy would almost certainly have had devastating impact on Rosa’s body, not to mention her mental health. Needless to say, the anti-choice community showed no regard for Rosa and did everything they could to block her access to an abortion. She had the abortion. Pro-choice women are continuing to support her and her family in Nicaragua. Psychologists who have observed the family can find no trace of abuse within the family. A suspect is before the courts in Costa Rica. Our government should remove the legal barriers that restrict access to safe abortion.

V A ASHTON
La Brea