Overview

• The court’s June 17 order allowed a 12-year-old girl to terminate her pregnancy resulting from alleged sexual assault by her uncle.
• Justices Nitin Sambre and Sachin Deshmukh held that forcing sexual assault victims to carry unwanted pregnancies would infringe on dignity, bodily autonomy and mental well-being.
• A medical board had warned that a late-term abortion posed significant risks due to the girl’s age and fetal development.
• The court directed that a specialised medical team including a paediatric surgeon, gynaecologist and anaesthesiologist conduct the procedure under strict safety protocols.
• The decision establishes a precedent for judicial exceptions to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act’s 20-week cap in sexual assault cases.