Abortion for 10-year-old sparks debate in Brazil

A near-riot in front of a hospital in the northeastern town of Recife in mid-August sent shock waves across Brazil. Inside, a 10-year-old rape victim was having an abortion.

Conservative religious groups and right-wing politicians connected to the more radical evangelical churches gathered in front of the hospital and attempted to break in to stop the abortion.

The case of Menina ("girl") as she became known because her identity cannot be disclosed, came to light after the Minister for Women, Family and Human Rights, Damares Alves, herself a pastor of a Pentecostal church, sent representatives to meet with the girl's family trying to convince her to keep the baby.

Menina had allegedly been raped by her uncle since the age of 6 and both girl and her legal guardian, her grandmother, decided that the abortion was the best and safest measure to take.

The case has sparked debate in this deeply conservative nation that is home to the world's largest population of Catholics and fast-growing evangelical faiths.

Brazil has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world. Abortion is illegal in the country, except in the case of rape or risk to the mother's life. Both instances were deemed to apply to Menina.

Dr. Melania Amorim is a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the federal University of Campina Grande and has years of experience treating underage pregnancies.

"Study shows that pregnancies in 14 years-old and younger have a mortality rate four times higher than pregnancies in women 20 years old or older," said Dr. Amorim.

Such exceptional abortions are performed in public hospitals, quickly, quietly and, by law, anonymously, to avoid further trauma to the victims. But the right-wing government of President Jair Bolsonaro has empowered and emboldened anti-abortionists and religious groups once isolated to the fringe.

One militant Bolsonaro supporter gave out the name, date and location of the hospital where the abortion was going to be performed as well as the girl's name on social media.

The information brought the small but vocal group of protesters to the front of the hospital, forcing Menina and her grandmother to enter the hospital through a back door furthering the trauma and violence she had already suffered.

The attitude of the ultra-conservative and right-wing protesters outraged women's rights groups, sparking what they say is a long overdue debate in Brazilian society and brought to light some staggering numbers.

According to a 2019 report published by the Brazilian Forum for Public Safety, an NGO that uses official data from governments at state and federal levels, there were 66,000 rapes in Brazil in 2018. More than half were girls under 13 years old.

The SUS, Brazil's public health system, reports that it has performed 32,000 abortions in girls between 13 and 14 years-old since 2008.  26,000 carried pregnancies to term in the same time period. In short, 6 girls 13 years-old and younger have an abortion every day in Brazil. And every day there are six babies born to such girls.

The COVID-19 pandemic made matters worse. Domestic violence increased in Brazil and in many parts of the world where families have been forced to isolate.

But, according to Women and Human Rights activists, the government of President Bolsonaro is using the pandemic to defund the few hospitals prepared to support rape and domestic violence victims.

"We have an increase of violence, while the number of centers for support of those cases are diminishing. There was a cut of 45% in the number of hospitals that perform legal abortions," said Tatianny Araujo, a health worker and member of the Feminine Resistance.

Dr. Jefferson Drezett is a professor of public health at the USP-University of Sao Paulo and for many years worked in the implementation of care services for women victims of violence and the legal abortion services in the public health system.

"It is a very bad moment in Brazil. The government and a good part of the Brazilian congress is against abortion even in the circumstances in which it is allowed by law," said Dr. Drezett.

The Catholic church expressed sorry over Menina's abortion with a nuanced statement that said, "The church is saddened that a child would have to be killed to save the life of another child."

At the same time, it denounced the actions of the politicians and religious radicals in front of the hospital.

The abortion was performed and Menina is recovering well. Menina's uncle is now under arrest.

(Image Credit Pixabay)