A 11-year-old Romanian girl who became pregnant after she was allegedly raped by her uncle has travelled to Britain for an abortion despite being given last-minute permission for abortion in her native country, officials said Monday.
"The girl and her mother left for Britain on Saturday evening," the mayor of her village, Neculai Nicorescu, told AFP.They left the day after a government panel had ruled that the girl could have an abortion in Romania, despite the country's tight abortion laws.
Under Romanian legislation, abortions are allowed up until the 14th week of the pregnancy if the mother's life is endangered or if the foetus suffers from malformation.
The girl was already 17 weeks pregnant when her parents discovered her condition.
"The girl and her parents were informed of the decision on Friday, but they nevertheless went ahead and signed the documents for the pregnancy termination to be carried out in Britain," the mayor said.
On Friday, an inter-ministerial panel had ruled that the abortion could go ahead because the girl was a victim of sexual abuse and she faced "major risks to her mental health" if the pregnancy continued.
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Two medical panels had already examined the girl, who is now 21 weeks pregnant, the first finding in favour of an abortion, the second against.
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The council would refuse to represent the doctor if legal procedures were launched against them, the body's president Vasile Astarastoae said in a statement.
The girl's family had said last week they wanted to travel to Britain for an abortion, and a Romanian in Britain had offered to finance the costs.
Source-AFP
THK/S
