The phrase “a twelve-year-old rape survivor who is also pregnant” prompts a multitude of questions on its own. In the Ayodhya rape case, where it is alleged that the 12-year-old was gangraped by three men, the focus seems to be on everything except the suffering of this young, vulnerable girl, who may not even fully comprehend what pregnancy even means.
Before even reaching her teenage years, the girl is six to eight weeks pregnant, according to the two sources privy to the development. There is no official confirmation of the gestation period. When News18 reached out to Ayodhya’s district women’s hospital where the girl is being treated, Dr Vibha Sinha from the medical team told News18, “I can only tell you that she is doing fine.”
When News18 pressed for more information on whether the victim was receiving mental counselling and what plans were being made to address her pregnancy, Sinha declined to provide further details, stating, “I can’t say anything more.”
The rape of a minor is always a sensitive issue, but it becomes more disturbing when the minor is pregnant.
Consider the challenges a fully grown woman faces with a planned pregnancy — she struggles with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, and mood swings –– it’s almost unimaginable how a 12-year-old, barely aware of her own body, could be coping with these issues.
Given that the girl is in the early stages of pregnancy, experts told News18 that in this stage, a medication-based termination of pregnancy seems the only viable option to initiate the girl’s mental and physical healing process.
A 12-year-old’s Body Not Large Enough to Carry a Baby: Doctors
According to Dr Sumit Ray, medical director at Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi, a child aged 12 years is in a growing phase where the body needs a lot of nutrition for muscle building, growth and height spurt. “However, in this case, this girl’s body must be falling short of nutrition as the body also uses nutrition for the unborn child,” Ray said.
He raised a crucial point by adding that “one must think that as a young child her body, weight and height are not large enough to carry a child.”
“Even an adult woman who opts for pregnancy gets tired of this process of running a nine-month slow marathon where she passes through multiple stages of discomfort and pain. It is unimaginable to think of the physical trauma that this child may not be able to understand at this age and stage,” Ray said.
Ray suggested that if the pregnancy is anywhere between six to eight weeks gestation, it can be aborted using medicines when the child is under medical care and guidance.
Similarly, Dr Hema Divakar, former president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) believes that one of the blessings in disguise is the early diagnosis of the pregnancy. “In such incidents, the pregnancy is generally detected once the abdomen starts showing up. In such instances, it takes a long procedure to move to the court, requesting termination,” she said.
In cases where pregnancy is in advanced stages, the are generally shifted to bigger hospitals in state capitals or large public hospitals across India. However, according to doctors, in this case, the district hospital will be able to plan and conduct further procedures.
“District hospital will be able to handle the abortion in this case as it is quite simple. However, they need to deal with the mental distress this child must be going through,” said Divakar, who is now a director at Well Woman Healthcare at the Federation International of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO).
Psychological Trauma of The Child Is Unimaginable: Experts
Multiple experts told News18 that at this stage, the young girl can experience various mental health challenges.
“Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common outcome where she can experience flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the assault,” said a psychologist who works at one of India’s largest public hospitals.
“In some cases, these thoughts can be quite intense and the child might experience suicidal thoughts as well.”
The doctor, who has previously counselled several victims from harsh circumstances including physical violence and rape said that the individual may also struggle with intense feelings of shame and guilt and may blame herself for the assault or subsequent pregnancy. “This self-blame leads to significant damage to the self-esteem leading to feelings of isolation from people around her,” the doctor said.
Dr Jyoti Kapoor, a senior consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist explained that sexual assault especially at an early age is associated with extreme stress reaction which impacts the neurobiology of stress response in the child.
“Such cases are associated with the development of chronic problems in adolescence and adulthood including personality disorders, anxiety, depression and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” Dr Kapoor said.
“Apart from the physical suffering and social ostracisation, the child has to live with the trauma throughout life hampering trust formation, interpersonal relationship issues and low self-esteem stunting the growth of a healthy individual,” said Kapoor, who is also founder-director at Manasthali, Mental Health & Wellness Services in Gurugram.
While political parties engage in their contentious disputes, the real cost will be borne by the girl, who finds herself caught in the middle, suffering simply because she was born with a uterus.
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