FAMILY IN TURMOIL OVER ABORTION

A family is in turmoil after their 14-year-old girl was raped several times by a 19-year-old neighbour and fell pregnant. The abuser has bee...

A family is in turmoil after their 14-year-old girl was raped several times by a 19-year-old neighbour and fell pregnant. The abuser has been jailed and a judge has ruled that the girl can abort. Her Catholic father is against the abortion while her mother wants the abortion carried out. 

“I am a Christian; we are all Catholics and abortion is not allowed. If she aborts, it will be against my will," said the father.

The mother who separated from the girl's father said "She is still too young; she has no idea of how to take care of herself, let alone a baby. Anongogarorwara (she is always sick) and this shows the pregnancy is overwhelming her. The Bible does not allow abortion but the court allowed it, so let her abort."

Constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku said if her parents fail to agree on whether or not to terminate pregnancy, the court then makes the final decision.

“Under such circumstances, the courts may consider what the minor wants and after consideration they then grant the most appropriate decision,” he said.

Catholic priest Father Clifford Nhetekwa said the church did not accept abortion. “The Bible, in the book of Exodus, has commandment number five which says thou shall not kill. These biblical laws give directives without any conditions, so despite the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, thou shall not kill,” said the priest.

However, he said there was one exception. “Theologically, we look at the principle of double effect whereby we say is this baby a threat to the mother or will be birth of the baby cause permanent damage to the mother or not?

“If there are no such circumstances then there is no excuse for abortion. God is the principal giver of life. Therefore, we should not decide for him.”