The Peruvian Bishops Conference has denounced the decision of a medical board in Lima that approved an abortion for an 11-year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather.
The girl, whose identity has been protected, requested an abortion after she became pregnant as a result of the sexual abuse. However, the medical board denied her request and authorized a cesarean section instead, arguing that her pregnancy was already in an advanced stage and that both lives could be saved.
The bishops issued a press release on Wednesday to reject the decision of the medical board and affirm the right to life of both the mother and the unborn child. They cited the Church’s teaching and the Peruvian Constitution to support their position.
“The decision of the medical board is an attack on human dignity and an attempt to impose a culture of death that goes against our Constitution, our laws, and our Christian faith,” the bishops said.
They also urged the authorities to protect the girl from further abuse and to prosecute the rapist, who has been arrested and confessed to his crime.
The girl’s case has sparked a debate on abortion in Peru, where it is only legal when the mother’s life or health is at risk. Many activists and organizations have called for the legalization of abortion in cases of rape, incest, or fetal impairment.
“We demand that the state guarantee the girl’s right to decide over her own body and life, and that she receives adequate medical and psychological care,” Amnesty International Peru said in a statement.
“The state has failed to protect this girl from sexual violence and now it is failing to protect her reproductive rights. This is a form of torture,” Susana Chavez, director of Promsex, a local NGO that advocates for sexual and reproductive rights, told EL PAÍS English.
Peru has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in Latin America, especially against minors. According to official data, more than 13,000 girls under 14 years old became pregnant as a result of rape between 2014 and 2019.
Abortion is a controversial and divisive issue in Peru, where more than 75% of the population identifies as Catholic. A bill to allow abortion for pregnant rape victims was rejected by the Congress in 2015, and a referendum on the issue was also rejected in 2018.
Relevant articles:
– Peruvian Bishops decry approval of abortion for 11-year-old girl, Herald Malaysia Online, August 17, 2023
– Peru denies abortion to girl raped by her stepfather, EL PAÍS English, August 10, 2023
– Peru lawmakers reject bill to allow pregnant rape victims an abortion …, Reuters, May 27, 2015
– Abortion for Rape Victims: Good or Bad?, Human Life International, May 26, 2021