Minor girl's brother responsible for unborn child, court allows abortion of seven months pregnancy

The Kerala High Court while hearing a petition filed by the father of a minor girl and taking into account the fact that the real brother of the minor is responsible for the unborn child, If abortion is not allowed in such a situation and the child is born, various social and medical complications are likely to arise. In such circumstances the permission sought by the petitioner for termination of pregnancy is indispensable as the child would be born of a real sibling. The Court further observed that the report of the Medical Board submitted that there was a possibility of the minor giving birth to a live child, in such circumstances, this Court permitted the abortion of the petitioner's daughter.                                                   A single-judge bench of Justice A.A. Ziyada Rehman was hearing a petition filed by a father seeking an order for medical termination of pregnancy of his minor girl child.                                                        In this case, the court had constituted a medical board to ascertain the condition of the unborn child and the physical and mental condition of the minor. The medical board had stated in its report that the minor is physically and mentally fit for medical termination of pregnancy. The medical board, in its report, apprised the court of its opinion that the continuance of the pregnancy is likely to cause serious injury to the mental health of the minor. Additionally, the complications of teen pregnancy are likely to adversely affect her physical health. The Medical Board was also of the opinion that the continuation of the pregnancy is likely to have serious consequences for the social and mental health of the child.                                                    Taking into account the opinion submitted by the Medical Board, the Court ordered the District Medical Officer and the Superintendent of the Government Medical College Hospital to medically terminate the pregnancy of the minor.