A pregnant 12-year-old girl from Queensland has gone to court to fight for permission to have an abortion – and she won.
The court has permitted this for the girl, only identified as Q, for her “mental and physical health”, according to the Brisbane Times.
Abortion is illegal in the state of Queensland but may be permitted if the pregnancy puts the mother’s health is at risk.
The court was making the decision as to whether the girl was mature enough to end her nine-week pregnancy, with her parents and medical professionals agreeing it was the correct decision for in this circumstance.
The pregnancy had taken its toll on the girl, with the court hearing that she had self-harmed, ran away from home and made an attempt on her life.
According to documents, the girl fell pregnant to a child of a similar age and the boy was unaware of the pregnancy.
Justice Duncan McMeekin agreed that an abortion by either the Mifepristone or Misoprostol drug was “necessary to do so in order to avoid danger to her mental and physical health.”
“I was principally concerned that it was her own view that she expressed, not a view that she felt she ought to hold because of any perception of pressure from others,” Justice McMeekin wrote.
“I am satisfied that Q has reached her own independent view of what she thinks is the best decision to take.”
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