Paraguay Denies Abortion to Raped 10-Year-Old

International outrage has been building since late last week, when The Daily Beast reported on the case of a pregnant 10-year-old in Paraguay who has been denied an abortion by the government.

Abortion is illegal in all circumstances in Paraguay, except for when the mother’s life is in immediate danger.

The unnamed girl is 21 weeks pregnant and reportedly weighs less than 70 pounds. Her mother suspected she was being raped by her stepfather and reported it to authorities earlier in the year—to no effect. Yet on April 23, when the girl was checked into the hospital, her mother was arrested as an accomplice to the abuse. The stepfather is currently at large.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is in touch with attorneys in Paraguay as they fight the government’s ruling. We have also launched an online petition—that has collected close to 4000 signatures already—to challenge the decision and bring global attention to the situation.