Dylan Bettencourt
The state of Florida, USA, has ruled that a pregnant teenager is too immature to have an abortion but mature enough to raise a baby.
A court found that the youngster had not been shown to be sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy.
The 16-year-old, who is also an orphan, was ten weeks pregnant when she requested a court exemption from the law which states children under 18 must have parental consent if they are to have an abortion.
The court denied the request, ruling that the teenager did not offer clear and convincing evidence that she could make such a decision on her own.
Appeals court judge Scott Makar agreed with the ruling.
Makar said the teenager claimed she was not ready to have a baby because she was still in school and the father was unable to offer assistance. He said the girl, who lived with a relative, claimed the guardian said they are fine with what she wants to do.
An initial hearing showed the judge’s ruling was a very close call, finding that the minor was ‘credible, open with the judge and non-evasive’.”
Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz also found that the teenager showed at times that she was stable and mature enough to make this decision, showing valid concerns about her ability to raise a child.
Both judges ruled that the teenager could return at a later stage to articulate her request.
The pregnant child will have just under four weeks to do that as Florida prohibits any abortion past the 15-week stage.
The ban came into practice on 1 July following the US Supreme Court overturning the 1963 Roe vs Wade ruling which created a right to abortions.
Several abortion clinics have announced plans to relocate to areas where abortion is legal to assist women to make the decision without legal interference.
Image source: @CNBC
