Pregnant 9-year-old Nicaraguan Girl Recovers after Receiving Abortion

The abortion took place in despite of national rulings. Authorities look for the girl as can be punished.
Rosa Fletes, the 9-year-old Nicaraguan girl that became pregnant after being violated in Costa Rica three months ago, received an abortion at a private clinic and was recovering well, a private organization said Friday. Now, local authorities are after the girl and parents as an abortion in Nicaragua requires a medical board's approval, but the board earlier this week issued an ambiguous ruling that said the girl faced the same health risks whether she had an abortion or carried her baby to term.

The board had been badly put under pressure by the powerful Catholic Church that condemned in advance any attempt to let the girl to abort. After three months into pregnancy, the girl was under serious risk of dying if not quickly surged. The abortion took place Thursday night in Managua, said Violeta Delgado, a spokeswoman for the Organization of Women Against Violence. She said three doctors contacted the family and offered to carry out the abortion.

Nicaragua's Family Ministry had said it would seek to prosecute anyone who helped the family. The Roman Catholic Church also tried to persuade the family to have the girl carry the baby to term, offering to keep her and the baby at a local orphanage.

Prosecutors confirmed to the local press that they would sue family and doctors if they broke the law. "(The abortion practice) could be considered a public crime", said in declarations to the local newspaper La Prensa, general prosecutor Julio Centeno.

The last Episcopal Conference held in Spain stated that abortion was "the absolute evil to fight". Following this rule, the Archbishop of Managua, Obando y Bravo, had refused the idea of abortion practice and suggested to name three anti-abortion physicians to evaluate the case in order to save "the girl and the baby".

Hospitals and organizations from several countries, including Spain, USA, Cuba, Italy and Argentina had offered help to the family. However, local representatives of local human rights organizations secretly arranged for the abortion practice and saved the life of Rosa.

Hernan Etchaleco PRAVDA.Ru Argentina