Afghan Rape Victim Forced to Undergo Violent Abortion
A 14-year-old rape victim was admitted to an Afghan hospital in critical condition recently when she contracted an infection after a forced abortion. The victim had been held down by her mother as her older brother used a razor to perform an abortion and used thick upholstery string to sew the wound, according to the Associated Press. The girl was five months pregnant at the time of the abortion, reported the Telegraph.
The brother defended his actions to the Associated Press, stating "I told my sister that this was bad for us, for our family, and bad for the community." In Afghanistan, where extramarital sex is illegal, rape victims and their families often are subjected to debilitating stigma and shame, occasionally leading to honor killings, as reported by the BBC.
Dr. Ghulam Mohammed Nader, who runs Bamiyan Hospital, told the BBC that the girl stayed home at least three days until her father brought her there for treatment. The victim's brother and the man accused of the rape are in custody.
Media Resources: Associated Press 1/10/2009; Telegraph 1/8/2009; BBC 1/8/2009
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