Mexican leader says pregnant girls should be cared for, not pushed into abortion

Mexico City, Mexico, Apr 30, 2010 / 20:06 pm

President of the Red Pro Yucatan Network, Ivette Laviada, called for the protection of a 11-year-old pregnant girl from Quintana Roo, Mexico, saying that abortion would only bring more tragedy to her life. The girl is currently receiving care and assistance from pro-life groups.

The young girl was sexually abused by her stepfather, and became pregnant at the age of 10.

“For those of us who support life, the termination of a pregnancy is not the solution, as it would add more tragedy to the situation: the death of the most defenseless human being in the mother’s womb! An innocent life, just as innocent as the girl who carries it in her womb,” Laviada said in an article.

She warned that this is not the only case of a girl who has become pregnant through rape in Quintana Roo, as some 16 underage girls have reported similar situations so far this year.

Laviada denounced that even though the laws in Yucatan protect the unborn and that 18 weeks is beyond the legal limit for an abortion in cases of rape, there are some who insist on submitting the girl to abortion. Even her doctor has said that though hers is a high-risk pregnancy, an abortion “would pose greater risks to her health and endanger her life.”

“Those of us who support life want both the mother and child to live, since the right to life is fundamental,” she said.

For this reason, Laviada continued, “public policies that provide certainty to pregnant women so that they have the right to services and public programs to resolve their problem without sacrificing the life of their child” must be pursued.

She also urged that adoption in cases such as these be promoted and encouraged.