'Abnormal' fetus: Supreme Court permits woman to terminate 24-week-old pregnancy

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday allowed a rape survivor to terminate her 24-week-old pregnancy after she appealed to the court saying there was an abnormal growth in the fetus.
The court had on Friday asked Mumbai's King Edward Memorial Hospital to set up a medical board in 24 hours and examine the feasibility of aborting the "highly abnormal" fetus. After a report from a medical board, which said that the pregnancy would gravely endanger the mother's life, the SC allowed the termination.
The petitioner had told the SC that time was fast running out for her to abort the fetus, which had a slim chance of surviving the full term. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 permits abortion within 20 weeks of pregnancy and that too after two registered medical practitioners agree it isn't dangerous to the mother.
The woman challenged the validity of Section 3(2) (b) of the Act, which imposes the 20-week restriction. She said she was informed about the abnormality of the fetus after 20 weeks. And because of the law, no hospital was ready to carry out an abortion, which has caused her extreme mental and physical trauma, she said.
Identifying herself as 'Miss X' - because of the social stigma attached to rape and unwed motherhood - the woman said she is from a family that isn't well off. She has also filed rape charges against her former fiance, who reportedly married another woman.
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