not allowed to terminate her pregnancy due to the country’s ban on abortion has given birth to twin boys.
The child, who was 10 at the time of the sexual attack, gave birth in the seventh month of her pregnancy back in February, according to The Guardian.
She was denied a termination because Senegal's current abortion law, which is one of the strictest among the African nations, only allows the procedure if two doctors certify that the mother's life is in immediate danger.
The country’s abortion ban is based on an old penal code that dates back to 1810.
A doctor or pharmacist found guilty of having a role in a termination faces being struck off, while a woman found guilty of abortion can be jailed for up to 10 years, according to the Senegalese women lawyers' association.
Speaking to the association after giving birth, the girl said she wanted her attacker, a neighbor who is now in police custody, “killed”.
"I want him to be killed because he has stopped me from going to school."
Recalling the ordeal of childbirth, the youngster said she blacked out during labor.
“(I don’t remember) nothing, I woke up and I realized I was not pregnant any more, and I saw the twins.
The babies spent a week in an incubator and are understood to be in good health.
"The twins are fine, but they want a lot of breastfeeding, and I do not have enough milk,” said the young mother.
“My mother buys milk at the pharmacy. We are able to buy it, thanks to donations from generous people and a pharmacist who is being very kind."
The rapist, who allegedly attacked the child in a toilet while she was out playing, is awaiting trial.
No comments:
Post a Comment