16-year-old not “mature” enough for abortion​

Anger at Florida court ruling
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16-year-olds in US not ‘mature’ enough for abortion

The Florida teen has not “proved clearly and convincingly that she is sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy.”

A Florida court ruling that a 16-year-old is not “mature enough” to have an abortion has sparked outrage. “This is a dangerous and horrifying example of Florida’s war on women,” Democratic US Rep. Lois Frankel tweeted Tuesday. “If a young girl is too immature to decide to have an abortion, how can she be able to carry a baby?”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal called the decision of a Florida appeals court “disgusting”. She was “angry” that a teenager was being forced to give birth.

On Monday, an appeals court denied a 16-year-old the right to an abortion, upholding a first-instance judgment. The 10-week pregnant teen told the court she was “not ready to have a baby.” She still goes to school, has no job and the child’s father cannot help her.

However, the court of first instance ruled that the young person had not “proved clearly and convincingly that she was sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy”. The Court of Appeal upheld this decision.

In Florida, minors need parental consent to have an abortion. However, the young person in this case has no parents. She lives with a relative and has a state-appointed guardian. The girl therefore applied to the court for permission to have an abortion.

Abortion rights are one of the most controversial socio-political issues in the United States. The country’s Supreme Court in June overturned a nearly 50-year landmark decision that enshrined a nationwide right to abortion. As a result, numerous conservative-governed states have begun to drastically restrict access to abortions.

(albu/AFP)

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