The family of an 11 year-old girl who was raped by her 61-yearold step-grandfather has refused to allow her to have an abortifaction.
The young girl, who cannot yet be named for legal reasons is more than five months pregnant.
She was allegedly raped by her stepfather’s parent, who is half a century older than her, in the Bolivian town of Yapacaní, near Santa Cruz, in the centre of the South American country.
The family of the girl had initially accepted the abortion, but over the weekend changed its mind and consented to continue the pregnancy.
Women’s House chief, Ana Paola García, said to newspaper EFE the young girl told one of her cousins ‘she felt strange movements in her belly’.
A family of 11-year old girl, who was raped by her step-grandfather aged 61, has refused to allow her to have an abortion. The family’s lawyer Giovanni Cabello (pictured) announced the decision to reporters in Bolivia
The cousin told her aunt, the 11 year-old girl, and she filed a police complaint.
‘She does not want to be a mother,’ García said.
“What is being done to this creature is a crime.”
She also stated that the victim was administered the first doses of the pregnancy termination medication.
‘It is impossible for us force an 11-year old girl to be in a nine month gestation process. That is torture.
García said there were 39,999 pregnancies of children under 18 in Bolivia in 2020, an average of 109 girls per day.
The 11-year-old was allegedly raped by her stepfather’s dad, who is half a century older than her, in the Bolivian town of Yapacaní (pictured), near Santa Cruz, in the centre of the South American country
“This is alarming, sexual violence still plagues Bolivia, and girls continue to suffer the most,” she said.
Bolivia has legalized abortion since 1970, except in cases of rape or sexual assault.
Since a constitutional ruling in 2014, however, it has not been possible to do so without a court or order.
Since then, a document signed only by the victim to inform her about the abortion procedure was required.
The Catholic Church in Bolivia suggested that the family’s decision was influenced by the Catholic Church. This church stated that “the only solution is save, love, and support both our lives.”
The Church stated that ‘A crime cannot be solved with another crime. Abortion does not remedy rape nor does it give peace-of-mind to consciences. It leaves psychological wounds that last a long time.
Bolivian Minister of the Interior, Eduardo del Castillo (pictured) said: ‘We cannot tolerate this type of behaviour within our country and we cannot destroy the life of an 11-year-old girl’
Giovanni Cabello, Giovanni Cabello’s lawyer, announced the family’s decision to Pagina Siete.
She stated that the maternity ward, and all its staff, are following the will of the family.
The lawyer said that the girl was in a good condition and that she is calm.
She said that the young girl was receiving all the care she needed to ensure her and her unborn baby’s well-being.
According to some reports, the decision to not abort the pregnancy goes against the wishes both of the doctors and the judicial authorities.
Her step-grandfather, who is north of Santa Cruz, is currently in custody at Montero prison and charged with aggravated sexual rape of a child.
The 61-year-old’s alleged attacks supposedly started last May when the 11-year-old and her 15-year-old sister were living under his care while their parents were earning a living in the country’s capital La Paz
The suspect was taking care of the 11-year-old girl and her 15-year old sister, who were both working in La Paz as bricklayers and cooks respectively.
The girl locked herself in her room in an attempt to avoid the attacks, which allegedly started last May.
The 11-year-old girl and her mother allegedly wrote contrasting statements in support and against the continuation of the pregnancy.
After an ultrasound, doctors determined that the 11-year-old girl was 21 weeks pregnant.
The young was cared for at the Percy Boland Maternity hospital in Santa Cruz, a two and a half hour drive from Yapacaní
Eduardo del Castillo, Bolivia’s Minister of Interior, stated that the girl would need to be assessed psychologically if she wants to continue with her pregnancy.
He said, “Imagine a 11-year-old girl that is forced to see her child or son every day as a result rape.”
“We cannot tolerate such behavior in our country and we cannot endanger the life of an eleven-year-old girl.
“We must create the necessary conditions for this pregnancy to be interrupted if it is not defined as such.”
The representative of the Yapacaní Children’s Ombudsman, Silvia Suazo, said: ‘The girl rejects the baby. She refuses to say “baby” and is even more stubborn.
“She wants to go to school and continue her life, but she is very anxious and afraid.
Meanwhile, former representative of the Ombudsman in Santa Cruz Hernán Cabrera criticised the Church and pro-life groups in Bolivia.
He said that she was brutally raped. The Church prays for the life of the baby. While that girl suffers, everything hurts, and doesn’t want that ‘life,’ in her womb, the Church asks God to grant it.
“Those who consider themselves pro-life believe that life can’t be ended, but it is already dead in injustice.
“She was destroyed by a violent, erect penis a man-beast. She is one of many abused, raped, and pregnant girls.