Father seeking to prevent handicapped daughter from having an abortion

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sep 14, 2007 / 09:20 am

The father of a young handicapped girl who has been authorized to undergo an abortion is seeking to stop the procedure and has promised to help raise his grandson.

The 19 year-old girl became pregnant through rape, and although a lower court ruled an abortion could not be allowed, an appeals court stuck that ruling down, and in a few days the girl is scheduled to have an abortion at the request of her mother.

In statements to the media, Mario Martinez, the lawyer of the handicapped girl’s father, said he has contacted the administration of Children’s Hospital expressing his desire that “the pregnancy not be terminated and asking that doctors provide information and guidance to the mother of the girl about the dangerous consequences of abortion.”

Likewise, Martinez said the father has offered to add the baby to his health care insurance and provide for all of his post-natal needs as well as for the post-partum recovery of his daughter.

“The complexity of this matter and the human pain it causes is understandable, but we are convinced that terminating the pregnancy will benefit no one,” the lawyer said.  He also said the father was considering asking the court to reverse the ruling, “but we are more concerned about doing concrete things to help protect the handicapped girl and the unborn baby.

The mother of the young girl accuses the father of abandoning the family 17 years ago and has threatened legal action against him if he insists on trying to stop the abortion.