Denied the Right to Abort, 14-Year-Old Rape Survivor Shows Courage. Refuses to Marry Her Rapist!

This gutsy Bareilly girl, a survivor of rape, has given birth to her rapist’s baby after a UP court refused her permission to abort the fetus. But she refuses to marry the man who brutalized her, despite immense pressure to do so.

She is a 14-year-old school dropout who had to stop her education because her father could not afford to send her to school any more. She started working as a domestic cook at the home of the accused to help her family make ends meet. She was raped by her employer and became pregnant. She and her family appealed to the courts repeatedly for permission to abort the fetus but did not get permission. As a result, she gave birth to her rapist’s child a few days ago and is an unwed mother at 14. In India, any girl in her situation is bound to be under tremendous social pressure, but yet, the girl has shown immense courage in refusing the proposal of marriage from her rapist.

The parents of the accused, who had abandoned her after she became pregnant, allegedly contacted the girl’s family and offered to ‘accept’ the mother and child, provided she gets married to their son. But all the girl wants is for her rapist to go to jail.

Picture for representation only. Source: Flickr

Fortunately, she has the support of her grieving father, who said in an interview to a leading daily that though people may want her to accept this proposal of marriage, he stands by his daughter’s decision.

According to a report in  The Times of India, Akeel Khan, father of the accused 22-year-old Asif Khan, said, “If a DNA test confirms paternity of the child, we will accept both the girl and the baby, but only if she marries my son. If she is unwilling to marry, we will not accept the infant.”

The girl and her father are certain they do not want to raise the baby. The girl believes bringing up the child will never allow her trauma to fade. She had said previously while filing the plea for the permission to abort, “I will not be in a position to raise the baby because of my finances and because the child will be a constant reminder of my trauma and shame.”

The father plans to take good care of his daughter once the child has been given away to someone. He intends to help her marry after a few years. “If she is married to a far-off village, she can move on with her life. She is just 14. She has her whole life ahead of her and I want her to be happy,” he said.

While the girl and her father have taken a strong stance about her future, the future of the newborn, on the other hand, is uncertain. However, there is reason to believe that the little one will fare well too because almost a dozen married couples are keen on adopting her child. According to a TOI report, almost all of them came across her story and want to help. The decision cannot be taken just yet though as the matter is still sub judice.

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