A pregnant 16 year old Texas girl is suing her parents from allegedly attempting to force her to have an abortion. I wonder how often this kind of thing occurs. I’d bet often. Kudos to ABC for highlighting this story.
ABC News reports:
The Texas Center for Defense of Life filed a lawsuit on the teen’s behalf on Sunday arguing that her parents “are violating her federal constitutional rights to carry her child to term by coercing her to have an abortion with both verbal and physical threats and harassment.”
The teen, identified in the lawsuit only as R.E.K. since she is a minor, was “beside herself” when she called the center for help, her lawyer Stephen Casey told ABCNews.com. The group claims it has previously represented teens in similar situations and won their cases.
“These girls are in a bind, particularly in a situation where their parents are forcing them to do something they don’t want to do,” Casey said. “Regardless of the [situation], that’s her parents and she should expect support from them in this situation, not resentment and anger.”
When the pregnancy was confirmed, the teenager’s father allegedly “became extremely angry, was insistent that R.E.K. was not having the baby, and that the decision was not up to her, according to the lawsuit. He stated he was going to take her to have an abortion and that the decision was his, end of story.”
The teen claims that her parents have taken away her phone, pulled her out of school, forced her to get two jobs and taken away her car in an effort to “make her miserable so that she would give in to the coercion and have the abortion,” the lawsuit said.
Casey said there is evidence of threats, including text messages from the girl’s father. The lawsuit also claims the girl’s mother suggested slipping her an “abortion pill.”
The nine-week pregnant girl said that she and the baby’s father wish to have the child and parent it.
This doesn’t sound like a good situation so if you have a moment say a prayer for this family.
It’s pretty amazing bravery from the 16 year old girl to stand up to her family to protect the life of her unborn child.
