A 12-year-old rape victim has given birth to twins after being denied a legal abortion.
The surgery was performed on the unknown schoolgirl at the children’s hospital Dr Hector Quintana in the city of San Salvador in Argentina.
The young girl was forced to wait until the twin foetuses reached a certain level of maturity before the operation could be carried out on November 29.
She has now been placed under the care of the Children’s Ombudsman due to her parent’s “legal situation”, according to a statement by the Network of Health Professionals for the Right to Decide.
The statement condemns the caesarean operation performed on the 12-year-old, saying she had the right to a legal abortion given her young age.
It goes on to criticise the authorities in the province of Jujuy, where the operation happened.
The procedure will leave a permanent scar on the rape victim’s body and the organisation said it could lead to psychological issues later in her life.
They accused officials of “buying time” to ensure the only option was to have the birth.
This is despite the fact there is a specific protocol which is carried out with UNICEF allowing teens under the age of 15 to have access to legal abortions.
They said the National Direction of Sexual Health contacted provincial authorities and offered to immediately help the girl but were met with delays.