Pregnant 10-year-old 'denied abortion after being raped by stepfather'

A 10-year-old girl who fell pregnant after being raped by her stepfather has been refused permission to have an abortion, a charity claims.

The child was admitted to hospital in Paraguay with stomach pains and doctors later discovered she was 21-weeks pregnant after being raped by her stepfather, Amnesty International said.

The charity said despite the high risk of the pregnancy and her mother's request, she has not been allowed to have an abortion.

Amnesty said the decision is "tantamount to torture" and could have "devastating consequences" on her health.

Under Paraguayan law, abortion is only legal when it can be proved the life of the pregnant woman or girl is at risk. It is not permitted if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

But despite a senior hospital official publicly stating that the girl's pregnancy is a risk, she has not been allowed a termination.

Instead she has reportedly been sent to a centre for young mothers.

Guadalupe Marengo, America's deputy director at Amnesty International, said Paraguay's "restrictive" abortion law is in violation of international law.

Forcing the girl to continue with the pregnancy would "prolong the horror", he said.