Chile's president: pregnant girl shows 'maturity'

[alp227]

Source: AP

Chile's president praised an 11-year-old girl on Tuesday for her "depth and maturity" after she said in a recent TV interview that she wants to give birth to the baby who was conceived when she was raped by her mother's partner.

President Sebastian Pinera's comments caused anger on social media in a case that has ignited a heated national debate over abortion in one of Latin America's most socially-conservative nations. Abortions, even for medical reasons and in the case of rape, are illegal since Gen. Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.

Pinera's government has opposed any easing of the ban.

"I've asked the health minister to personally look after the (girl's) health," Pinera said. "She's 14 weeks pregnant, and yesterday she surprised us all with words showing depth and maturity, when she said that, despite the pain caused by the man who raped her, she wanted to have and take care of her baby."

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/chiles-president-pregnant-girl-shows-maturity

---

SERIOUSLY? This MAN thinks an 11-year-old female rape victim is "mature" for this kind of decision? How "presidential" of him. Sebastian Pinera = the Latin American Todd Akin.

[sakabatou]

1. Where's my clue-by-four?!

[SunSeeker]

2. OMFG. A child should not be forced to give birth to a child.

It's not a "decision." I had no idea abortion was illegal in Chile even in cases of incest and rape. She was not allowed a decision. She is being forced to give birth to her rapist's baby. At 11 years old. Her mouthing that she wants to give birth is not "maturity," for this poor girl has no idea what is in store for her and she was probably coached to say this anyway. This is just a child making the best of her horrid reality.

That's it. I am buying no more fruit from Chile. A lot of the fruit sold in the winter here in CA is from Chile. No more!

And that sick bastard Pinera, may he burn in hell.

[MADem]

15. South America is very fucked up when it comes to right of choice. In short, there isn't much.

I think Uruguay is the only place in the region where the right is pretty much absolute--and their anti-choicers tried to knock down settled law on the matter recently, and were rebuffed. The few other countries that allow some measures of abortion do the "rape" or "health of the mother" thing--otherwise, it's off to the back room or the illegal clinic.

All the people who go on and on about what a paradise of forward thought South America is, should try being female of child bearing age and living there--I think they'd quickly learn that the joint ain't all it's cracked up to be.

[Ash_F]

18. But this guy is a staunch conservative. There is a difference.

Nobody here said it was a paradise. Rather they have hope for the rise of progressivism in the continent, having been mired in right wing extremism for much of the last century. With progressive ideals, women will become empowered.

This President is a right winger from the old system and a Republican favorite. He should not be lumped in with most of the newer Latin American leaders.

[MADem]

19. No. Do your homework. Check out how many countries have the right to choose

in South America. Start with the "lefty" places that some here think are so fan-tabulous.

After you've done that, you can come back to me and say, damn--Uruguay IS the best they've got.

Here, let me get you started with a few links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Venezuela

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Bolivia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Ecuador

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Paraguay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Argentina

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Brazil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Suriname

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Guyana

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/IB_AWW-Latin-America.pdf


South America is a HELL HOLE when it comes to choice- -95% of the abortions that take place in that region are deemed "unsafe."

[Ash_F]

35. Did I say those countries had the right to choose?

Please point to the exact line where I said that. No, I said they were heading towards progressivism. In other words it is getting better after decades of right wing dictatorships. Obviously, climbing out of that hole is going to take more work and more pressure from progressives in those countries. The President of Chile is pulling in the other direction, much like our Republicans.

Nobody on DU supports that they are still behind on reproductive rights. I challenge you to find a single post that does. But that doesn't mean they are going to start supporting the far right in those countries. The right was what got them there in the first place. People wished Obama was more progressive too, that doesn't mean they voted for Romney.

[MADem]

38. They aren't going to get it either. There's a cultural overlay that

puts rights for women in 2nd place when when it comes to this issue. I don't mean to be rude, but how long does it take to "climb out of that hole?" Chavez ruled for a decade and a half, and he didn't touch that issue with a forty foot pole. Pope Benedict visited in 2006 and gave him a talking to, as well, just to ensure he stayed on the right track. You think his hand picked successor is going to touch that third rail when he can't even keep arepa flour and toilet paper on the supermarket shelves? Hell, Uruguay didn't have abortion rights on the books for a moment before the anti-choicers tried to repeal the law--fortunately the repeal process is onerous and they couldn't muster enough votes.

This isn't about "supporting the far right" as a counterpoint--not sure where you dug that up. It's not a left-right issue down that way, like it is up north. This is the one subject where the loons on the right have complete and total convergence with the reactionary left--and everyone in between (not counting the women who want the right to choose, mind). They're all on the same page--a bunch of anti-choicers, most with a religious overlay who will still be cowed by the Vatican, who see empowered women as a threat to the status quo. It's also not getting better--it's getting worse. Down the years, many of these nations have formalized their anti-choice laws, where previously they had nothing on the books, or weren't throwing women in jail for the "crime" of exercising their right to have control over their own bodies.

Barefoot and pregnant, it's what's on the menu south of the border.

[dbackjon]

45. Yup - Venzuela - illegal, no exception for rape

Ecuador - slightly better, allows exception for rape, otherwise illegal
Nicaragua - no exceptions.

[MADem]

46. If Snowden decides on South America, he needs to bring some good sturdy Russian condoms.... nt

[Papagoose]

27. As a father, I don't think any 11 year old is ready to carry any baby to term

But I am faced with a conundrum here...who's decision should it be in this case, given her age? Hers, her parents? Not that anyone has a choice in Chile, but it's just a question that's floating in the back of my mind as I read this.

[kag]

3. Sooo...

If she dies in childbirth, is the president going to display "depth and maturity" enough to charge the rapist with murder?

Is this president going to show the depth and maturity to take care of the baby so that its mother can go to school and get a decent education? Is he going to pay for this 11-year-old's medical bills--not just through childbirth, but in the following years whenever the baby gets sick or injured, until the mother is old and educated enough to support herself and her child?

I can't believe that this little girl is being praised by people who should know better, and people who probably convinced her to make this decision, to bear the child of a rapist. As if the rape wasn't painful enough for her!!! As if she is capable of bearing and caring for a baby when she is still a child herself, and WILL BE throughout her baby's own childhood.

I hope at least that her rapist was castrated, and his balls force fed to him by an angry mob of rape victims.

[Bonobo]

4. When she said she wanted the baby, perhaps he should have

called her a misguided idiot?

[Judi Lynn]

5. He should call her a child, for the sake of truthfulness.

There is NO way you're going to be able to contort the situation until this crime against a living 11 year old child is acceptable.

[Bonobo]

6. Wow, no one, even he, said the crime was acceptable.

How on Earth do you make the leap to him saying the crime was acceptable?

[SunSeeker]

7. Pinera lauds the idea of an 11 year old having her rapist's baby. That is some sick shit. nt

[kardonb]

9. pinera

never forget :most South American countries are catholic !

[mbperrin]

11. Uh, because he talked about how mature she is? Because the rapist is not being prosecuted?

Because she still lives in the house with the rapist?

Yeah, those indicate acceptability.

BTW, these early puberties are nearly always caused by the body's reaction to continual sexual abuse over a long period of time, so this rape was not an isolated or impulsive incident.

In a decent world, her mother and her rapist would be sent away and certainly never allowed contact with a child again, and this child would be given a loving family and home after she had the abortion, never to see her tormentors again. But of course, no one is claiming that we live in a decent world.

[Bonobo]

12. Ewwww! I didn't know that. That is beyond vomit-inducing.

It is enraging.

[colorado_ufo]

14. Two years.

That's how long I read the repeated rapes had been going on - since the girl was perhaps 9 years old.

[Judi Lynn]

16. She should be protected, you're so right. Unbelievable those adults are free. n/t

[Chemisse]

24. Puberty is getting earlier all the time

And it has nothing to do with molestation (and most likely a lot to do with estrogen mimickers in our environment).

To state that is to cast horrible suspicion on millions of innocent families.

[mbperrin]

31. Frequent sexual activity also brings on puberty early. The body reacts to the stimuli it receives.

Sexual activity sends signals to the body, and puberty comes early.

This is how 10, 11, 12, and 13 year olds give birth every year right here in my county. But look up the research - it's there.

I didn't discount your "most likely" theory, but it is a simple biological fact that early onset of puberty is as great a warning sign of abuse as bruises, broken bones, scars that won't heal (the 8 year old whose "dad" burned his forehead with a cigarette so often that the wound healed with the skull showing, no tissue on that little round circle. Discovered after neighbors reported a child not attending school), and lots more.

Far too many people feel that children are property (even more than feel that about women) and that anything can be done to them.

In any case, is it worth looking into? Yes. As a teacher, I an a required reporter.

[Chemisse]

42. I'd like to see a link for this.

I have never heard it before and when I googled just now, there was no sign of early onset of puberty being caused by sexual abuse.

[mbperrin]

43. Look for the section on premature menses.

http://www.glowm.com/resources/glowm/cd/pages/v5/v5c016.html

This is written by three doctors, one from Duke, the other two from Oregon Health Sciences University.

[NickB79]

8. She's 11. She will NOT get to take care of this baby

If she's lucky (or unlucky, depending on how this affects her mentally), her mother or other female relative will raise this baby.

Otherwise, the baby will be put up for adoption.

The fact that she thinks she has the mental and physical capacity to raise this baby shows just how IMMATURE she truly is, because she clearly doesn't understand all that is entailed when raising a baby. This isn't a doll or a pet; it's a FUCKING INFANT!

[rebecca_herman]

13. I read the article, I don't think she gets it at all

"It will be like having a doll in my arms," the girl whose face was obscured during the interview, told local Canal 13.


She thinks it will be like having a doll... how sad. She definitely was not old enough to make the decision...

[JI7]

21. the doll comment is what i hear from girls who get pregnant or want to very early on

usually about 14 and under .

when asked about taking care of the child the comparison to the doll is what i most hear.

at 11 you haven't even experienced being a teen yet. most girls don't even get their period by that age .

and the thought of someone that age giving birth ???????

[Hissyspit]

10. Creepy.

[Ash_F]

17. One of the few remaining right wing leaderships in SA

If the Republicans love them, you know they are bad.

[MADem]

20. As I said above, the left wing ones are just as bad or worse, with one exception.

And they tried like hell to repeal that but did not succeed. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/agencia-efe/130624/bid-uruguay-abortion-referendum-falls-short

[Judi Lynn]

22. Sebastián Piñera was a supporter of the US-supported monster,Augusto Pinochet,

put in place through a Richard M. Nixon, Henry Kissinger, C.I.A.-engineered filthy, murderous coup. Pinochet was a hideous sadist, torturer, even his most evil torturer, Osvaldo Romo, was widely known for his unbelievable atrocities.

That ugly Chilean fascist element, and assorted uninformed people elected Pinera, who has been seriously unpopular since his election.

Unless the fascist find a way to harm her, the next President is expected to be their former President, Michelle Bachelet, who, with her mother and father, was imprisoned and tortured by US-supported Pinochet. Her father, Salvador Allende's General Alberto Bachelet, died in prison
from his torture treatments, and Michelle and her mother fled to Australia.

[exlrrp]

26. I'm sure no fan of Sebastian Pinera but...

Have to point out that he enacted 6 month maternity leave for mothers in Chile, it was one of his campaign promises. http://www.gob.cl/english/featured/2011/10/07/president-pinera-enacts-the-law-to-extend-postnatal-maternity-leave-to-6-months.htm
He's more like what used to be called a "Liberal Republican" in the Nelson Rockefeller mode than a raving Fascist.
Pinera claims to have voted no for the referendum in 1988 on whether Pinochet's government should continue. "...In 1998, Piñera opposed the arrest and detention of Augusto Pinochet, in London, initiated by Baltasar Garzón, arguing that it was an attack on the sovereignty and dignity of Chile....." (Wiki)
Something you need to know: Lots of Chileans felt that way.

[truthisfreedom]

23. Stinks of republicanism.

Period.

[Autumn Colors]

29. No, it stinks of the Catholic church!

Disclaimer: I was forced to go to Catholic school for 2 years (Kindergarten. & 1st grade) and to Catholic church and Sunday school until I was confirmed at age 16. From that point on, I never set foot in a Catholic church again. After investigating many beliefs until my early 20s, I became an atheist and have remained one for the past almost 30 years ... and yes, I have a deep hatred of that church.

In South America, this has less to do with political leanings and more to do with the influence of the Catholic church.

[wordpix]

30. also of Christian/Catholic fundamentalism

You know, the kind that "saved" indigenous peoples by establishing missions and forcing natives into slavery.

[exlrrp]

25. I have a son and 2 granddaughters in Chile

I visit Chile every year, have done for the last 5 years.
Its a great place, becoming my 2d home.
If abortion is your main or only issue, South America is not for you. Fortunately my granndaighters have dual citizenship, they can get whatever medical treatment they need in the USA, tho they have good national health coverage there.
On the up side, Chile just approved and instituted equal parenting laws, giving parents equal rights in the case of a splitup. Before that, full custody always went to the woman. As my son is separated from his partner but still does the major part of the child rearing, this is REALLY significant.

[Lars39]

28. Your granddaughters would die from ectopic

pregnancies. Sudden onset before most women even realize they are pregnant. They would have no opportunity to get out of the country for medical treatment, and the lifesaving treatment would be considered abortion.

[exlrrp]

39. What a cheerful thought!

Wow
Then again they could live to be old women with big families just like millions of Chilean and American women do.
they have dual citizenship, they can go where they want.
When they were born, the whole birth cost my son about $250 apiece and that's because my DIL got a private room. Their public health coverage is a lot, a LOT better there.

[Lars39]

40. Just explaining what happens to women with ectopic pregnancies in countries where abortion is illega

An ectopic pregnancy could kill a woman before she could even finish booking a flight out of the country.

[Beacool]

32. Appalling response.

I bet that Michelle Bachelet would have never said something so insensitive.

An 11 year old child is raped, becomes pregnant and the government in her country expects her to deliver this baby????

Screw them!!!! No woman should be forced to carry the product of a rape, let alone an 11 year old child.

[sinkingfeeling]

33. #$*!!, in the USA, the RW claim a 17 year-old is incapable of making such

a decision without 'parental consent'! Hell, some don't think any female is capable of making such a decision!

[Igel]

36. And for all the outrage, there's no solution.

Except that the child should decide to abort and be allowed to do so.

She should have no choice. If she decides to keep it, then she should be forced to have the abortion against her will. Yup, that's what's left.

But I've read of 12, 13, 14 year olds who "decide" to keep their child and not abort. Last year a girl in a class I was teaching got pregnant for two reasons: the first was to spite her parents and the second was because she wanted a baby, something and somebody to call her own. However she was clear: The "spite" part was that her parents would be paying the medical bills and would be the one to raise the child. She had no intention of raising it once it stopped being cute.

She had just turned 16.

This is no more "mature" than "it'll be like a baby doll" reasoning. It's a slippery slope: If we assume that a kid of 11 can't decide, then 12? 13? 14? 15? 16? I've heard 14-year-olds' decisions defended as those of "women". Is there really that big a difference?

I figure this girl avoided a serious problem. If she wanted an abortion, she'd be wise beyond her years, a woman, and her choice was reasoned and should be honored--and we'd diss the government because it denies her the right to choose freely betwen two choices. But she says she wants to bear the child to term--she apparently wants the one choice available to her, however messed up the entire situation. It means we can't diss the government. So the child's making a mistake. We condemned her only having one option to choose from when the government restricted her choice; and our solution is to give her only one option to choose from, and restrict her choice. Except nobody wants to say "forced abortion".

[sinkingfeeling]

37. An 11 year-old has no idea what an abortion is, nor what a pregnancy will

be like, nor a live birth, nor how to raise a child. She is merely saying the words somebody (mother or rapist boyfriend or government worker or priest?) told her to recite. An adult or group of adults should make the decision to save the little girl. How is this 'forced abortion' (your term) any different than an adult deciding an 11 yr.-old should have an operation for cancer? Would you call that a 'forced surgery'?

I don't subscribe to the theory that children get to make life and death choices. Heck, I don't subscribe to an 11 yr.-old getting to decide much about anything that effects her health and well-being.

I was pointing out that the anti-abortion folks here in this country say that much older girls/women are too stupid to make a choice about their unwanted pregnancies, but think this child is showing 'maturity'. This little girl might just die from attempting to go through a live birth.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

34. He's alive!!!!!

Pinochet lives.............................................

[nomorenomore08]

41. Some people are just too fucking stupid to exist. Let alone hold office.

[Judi Lynn]

44. Chile must provide 11-year-old pregnant rape victim with all options, including abortion

Chile must provide 11-year-old pregnant rape victim with all options, including abortion
11 July 2013

The Chilean State must provide an 11 year old girl who was raped by her stepfather and is now pregnant, with all the psychological and medical support she needs, and make available all the options regarding the pregnancy including safe abortion services, Amnesty International said today.

Chile is one of just a handful of countries around the world that criminalise abortion in all circumstances.

This means that girls who are pregnant as a consequence of rape, or where the pregnancy threatens their life or health, are compelled to continue their pregnancies regardless of the risks. The criminalization of abortion constitutes a breach of international human rights law.

The girl, known as Belen, was repeatedly raped by her 32 year old step-father. She is now 14 weeks pregnant.

“The Chilean state is responsible to provide her with every support necessary as she contends with the horrendous physical and psychological consequences of being raped and pregnant as a result. Her life, health, hopes and dreams are all in the hands of the authorities,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

More:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/chile-must-provide-11-year-old-pregnant-rape-victim-all-options-including-abortion-2013-07-11