Udaipur: Minor rape victim's family agrees to keep baby after knowing it's a boy

Udaipur: In a worrying instance of gender discrimination, family members of a 16-year-old rape victim here agreed to keep her baby after they found out that it is a boy.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the girl was raped multiple times last year by two relatives. They had threatened her against reporting the crime and a case was lodged by the family only after the victim was six months pregnant.

“When we came to know about the incident, we met the girl’s family members and told them that the baby could be put up for adoption if they didn’t want it,” Harish Paliwal, a member of Udaipur’s child welfare committee was quoted as saying.

He further said, “We counselled them regularly, requesting them to not abandon the child.”

But, the family which had earlier been ambivalent about keeping the infant were ready to raise it once they knew the victim had delivered a boy. The girl was discharged from the district hospital on Thursday post delivery.

Paliwal had also said that they would keep the family under the radar to ensure they don't abandon the child.

The victim had earlier sought permission to abort the child. But the court had refused the request as she was already eight months into the pregnancy.

On the other hand, the accused have been remanded in judicial custody.