
(Scypre.com) – In recent news from the United Kingdom, a judge issued a controversial ruling that required an 11-year-old girl, who was already pregnant, to undergo an abortion. The judge’s decision was grounded in the belief that termination was in the best interest of the young girl. These developments became publicly known through court documents stemming from a private hearing that was conducted the prior month.
These documents detailed a distressing series of events involving a 10-year-old girl known as AZ. AZ had been sexually assaulted by a 14-year-old boy she had met online, and sadly, this traumatic experience recurred when another 14-year-old boy assaulted her a few weeks after she turned 11, as reported by The Independent.
In her ruling, London High Court Judge Emma Arbuthnot, who is professionally known as Mrs. Justice Arbuthnot, disclosed further information regarding the case. She stated that AZ became pregnant after being raped by the first 14-year-old, which occurred when she was 10 years old, on either the 18th or 21st of May in 2023. The judge also noted that a subsequent assault by another 14-year-old boy took place on June 11, 2023, but this second incident did not result in pregnancy.
At the time of the hearing, AZ had reached approximately 14 weeks and six days of pregnancy. Surprisingly, she informed the court that she felt “happy” about her pregnancy, as reported by The Sun.
Despite this sentiment, the judge raised concerns about the potential risks associated with continuing the pregnancy. In response, AZ reaffirmed her happiness with being pregnant and expressed her desire to proceed with it. The judge, however, characterized AZ’s perspective as involving “naive magical thinking” in her approach to the pregnancy.
AZ herself provided insight into her emotional state, explaining that the pregnancy made her feel “special,” a sentiment corroborated by Arbuthnot. Furthermore, AZ’s mother was reported to be in support of her daughter’s position.
In contrast to these sentiments, a health board took the initiative to request “declarations that termination of pregnancy would be in her best interests.” This was accompanied by the opinion of a mental health consultant who argued that AZ may “lack competence” to carry through with the pregnancy.
Following the expert recommendations, the judge issued an order for the girl to undergo an abortion, and the procedure was scheduled to take place later in the current week.
The judge emphasized the significant risks to AZ, stating, “The risks to AZ are significant. I was particularly struck by the evidence about the impact of the size of AZ’s anatomy: whereas many adult women struggle with the pain of childbirth, a child of eleven is likely to have a much worse experience.”
While AZ reportedly accepted the proposal for terminating the pregnancy, she preferred that experts make the final decision, as per The Sun’s report. Additionally, Judge Arbuthnot expressed concerns about the possibility of the girl becoming pregnant again after the abortion, highlighting the associated risk.