A 10-YEAR-OLD girl became pregnant after being raped by a 14-year-old boy she met online, a court heard.
The student, whose name has not been released, wanted to keep the baby after the alleged attack in May.
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10-year-old girl wanted to keep the baby, but now she will undergo an abortionCredit: Elva Etienne
She said the pregnancy made her feel “special” and would give her an excuse not to have to go back to school.
But a judge at the High Court in London today said the abortion, due to take place this week, was in the best interests of the child.
The shocking case came to light after details of last month’s private hearing were finally released this week.
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot said the girl, known only as AZ, was 14 weeks and six days pregnant at the time.
In the judgment, she said: “When the many risks of continuing the pregnancy were explained to her, AZ said she was ‘happy’ to be pregnant and wanted to continue with the pregnancy.
“She said it made her feel ‘special’. The mother supported AZ’s position.”
But a mental health counselor said the girl “lacked competence” and seemed “very idealistic and unrealistic”.
The judge added: “Her views involve ‘naive magical thinking’ in her approach to pregnancy.
“She lacked the intellectual development and ability to process the complexity of the decisions that needed to be made, and her emotional investment in one outcome clearly clouded her judgment.
“An important factor in AZ’s decision was that the birth of the child would ensure that she would not have to return to school.”
The girl, who is now 11 and lives at home with her mum and dad, has not been to school since February.
A team of experts considered the risks to the child if she continued with the pregnancy and “unanimously” agreed that an abortion was in her best interests.
Her chances of dying during childbirth were increased because of her tiny anatomy, the judge said.
The “risks and benefits” were explained to her parents and they later agreed to support the termination.
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot continued: “The physical health risks raised were above the normal risks of pregnancy.
“Experts emphasized that there are no studies on pregnancy in children aged 11. The studies included children aged 14 to 18.
“They felt that the risks would be at least as high, and probably higher, for a child than AZ.
“The doctor’s descriptions of these physical risks are clear and convincing.
“The risks of AZ are significant. I was particularly struck by the evidence of the size effect of AZ anatomy: while many adult women struggle with labor pain, an eleven-year-old child is likely to have a much worse experience.
“Her body may simply be too small to give birth except by C-section. Any experience could traumatize her.”
She said AZ has since accepted the need to terminate, but wants adults to make the decision.
The judge granted the request – from the health board and the local authority – and issued an order for the abortion.
But she warned: “The mother told the social worker that there was a risk that if AZ’s pregnancy was terminated, she would just go out and get pregnant again.
“For some reason parents can’t seem to stop it.
“The risks of a new pregnancy are obvious, but there is no request to declare that the implant should be implanted against AZ’s will.
“Instead, we’re hoping AZ might agree to this.”
During the abortion, a sample of fetal tissue will be taken for forensic analysis as part of the criminal investigation.
“The 14-year-old denies having any sexual contact with AZ.”
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The hearing was held at the High Court in London last monthCredit: EPA
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Source: HIS Education