Delhi High Court orders termination for 15-year-old rape victim, citing dignity and autonomy

On September 8, the Delhi High Court declared that obliging a 15-year-old rape survivor to remain pregnant undermines her right to live with dignity and to control her own body. Justice Madhu Jain emphasized that the advanced gestational age could not justify overriding the minor’s reproductive rights, even though the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act generally restricts terminations beyond 20-24 weeks. The court granted the petition to terminate the pregnancy, ordering the medical superintendent of Lady Hardinge Medical College and S K Hospital to carry out the procedure promptly and to retain fetal tissue for DNA identification in the rape case.

All expenses, including medication, investigations, and hospitalization, were assigned to the State. If the baby survives the procedure, the Child Welfare Committee must ensure its medical care as required by law. The ruling highlighted the girl’s extreme vulnerability, noting she has lost both parents, and called for compassionate legal and medical support.