Posted by PM News on
An 11-year old Romanian girl will be brought to Britain for an abortion after she was raped by her teenage uncle. Florina Vranceanu is 20 weeks pregnant but the law in Romania allows terminations only up to 14 weeks.
An 11-year old Romanian girl will be brought to Britain for an abortion after she was raped by her teenage uncle. Florina Vranceanu is 20 weeks pregnant but the law in Romania allows terminations only up to 14 weeks.
Her parents are desperate for Florina to have an abortion quickly and allowed her to be named in the hope that public pressure would sway a government committee considering her case.
But the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is followed by more than 80 per cent of the population, said the abortion decision should be left to the family.
Spokesman Constantin Stoica said it was ‘an exceptional situation which must be treated in an exceptional manner and the family is the only one to take this decision'.
He added that the church considers abortion a crime, but this belief applies to normal circumstances and not to incest or rape.
The parents' decision, however, appeared to have worked when late last night a committee of government officials and experts set up to rule on the controversy said she could have an abortion in Romania.
'We are talking about the rights of this child who was subjected to rape and incest," said Theodora Bertzi, a Labour Ministry official who was sitting on the committee.
But her father Florin inisted the family was coming to Britain, where abortions can be carried out up to 24 weeks.
'Whatever is decided here in Romania it all takes too long - even if they agree to a law change it will all take too long - and it's putting my daughter's life at risk in the meantime," he said before the ruling. A wealthy Romanian businesswoman living in London has spoken to the family and promised to make arrangements for the abortion and cover all the costs.