Sebastián Piñera the President of Chile is under fire for comments he made regarding a pregnant 11-year-old rape victim. The fifth grader decided to keep her rapist's baby and Pinera praised the decision.
The unidentified 11-year-old girl was raped by her mother's boyfriend over a period of two years. The boyfriend is now in jail. The girl's mother surprised the court and the country when she came out in support of her boyfriend saying his and her daughter's relationship was consensual. The 11-year-old's grandmother was the one who brought the case to police.
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The pregnant rape victim appeared in a TV interview on Monday, saying she wants to keep her baby. The victim says she will love the child despite the fact that it was conceived through violence.
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When the Chilean president heard what the girl had said he praised her "depth and maturity." Pinera is a strong supporter of Chile's anti-abortion laws. Abortions in Chile are illegal under any circumstances including rape and the endangerment of the mother's health.
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A woman in Chile known only as Beatrix was in danger of dying if she carried her pregnancy to term. Doctors told the young woman part of her baby's brain was missing and it would not survive more than a few hours after birth. Beatrix pleaded with the Chilean government to allow her the abortion but they refused. Beatrix had a C-section, which ultimately saved her life.
When the interviewer was speaking with the 11-year-old girl the child said she was excited to be a mom and believed having a baby would be like "having a doll in my arms."
Pinera issued a statement saying he asked the Chilean health minister to look after the girl's health and care for her during the pregnancy. His statement angered those who would see an easement of the harsh anti-abortion laws when he said,
"She's 14 weeks pregnant, and yesterday she surprised us all with words showing depth and maturity, when she said that, despite the pain caused by the man who raped her, she wanted to have and take care of the baby."
There are experts who believe that the girl's age, mental competence and the fact that her body is still developing are all reasons she should not deliver the fetus. A forensic psychologist by the name of Giorgio Agostini spoke with "The Sun." Agostini believes,
"At that age the girl doesn't have the capacity of discernment, not even at age 14 would she have the mental and emotional capacity to discern this...So what the president is saying doesn't get close to psychological truth of an 11-year-old girl. It's a subjective view that is not based on any scientific reasoning to support it."
The harsh anti-abortion laws in Chile date back to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Pinera supports these laws but Michelle Bachelet who will be running in next year's Chilean presidential race supports changing the law in the cases of rape or endangerment to the life of the mother.
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