Monday, May 04, 2015

Meanwhile. in Paraguay


A ten-year-old girl was raped, allegedly by her stepfather, and cannot get an abortion because of the Catholic church, ultimately.  Abortion is only available when the pregnant person's life is at risk.

This quote angered me:

The 10-year-old is one of three children who share a rented room in the city of Luque with her mother and stepfather.
The mother, who works in a school cafeteria, reported in January 2014 that her husband was sexual abusing her daughter, but the authorities took no action. When the girl’s stomach started to swell and ache last month, the mother took her to hospital fearing she may have a tumour.
After doctors revealed the girl was pregnant, her mother asked them to perform an abortion, but this is forbidden in Paraguay unless the pregnancy has life-threatening complications.
The girl was taken to a shelter and her mother was imprisoned on 27 April and accused of failing in her duty of care. A judge is considering a further charge of being an accomplice in the rape. The stepfather is on the run.

Bolds are mine.

Note the poverty of the girl's mother.  Note that she went to the authorities and was ignored.  Note that she is now imprisoned for failing in her duty of care.

What may be demanded of mothers is very different from what may be demanded of everyone else, including the authorities.