Unprotected and Assaulted: 14 Year Old Raped and Denied Abortion

A 14 year old girl in Poland checked into a hospital to terminate her pregnancy but instead was continually harassed and assaulted by anti-choice protesters (led by a priest!) and she's still pregnant.

From the Gazeta, a Polish publication, an article from June 6, 2008 which deserves our attention:

A 14 year old girl in Poland ("Agata") who had been raped was admitted to a hospital in Warsaw to have an abortion (abortion is legal under Polish law when a pregnancy results from rape), only to be essentially assaulted and violated again by anti-choice activists. As of today, the procedure still has not taken place.

According to the article, the Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning has been following the story and knows that "the girl, at
first, wanted to have the abortion in Lublin, where she resides.
However, two hospitals refused to perform the procedure. A priest
suddenly appeared in one of them during a conversation between the
girl’s mother and the hospital director. The priest began trying to
convince the 14-year-old that she should give birth."

Apparently, the priest along with a variety of anti-choice protesters and activists showed up at the hospital making a ruckus and trying desperately to force the young girl to carry the pregnancy to term. As a result, Agata’s mother turned to the Federation for help in locating another hospital this past week, which they did. The girl was transferred to this alternative hospital and scheduled the termination.

Shockingly, the priest and his fanatical protesters showed up at this second location in Warsaw only to begin their harassment of this poor girl once again. An account of what occurred from the author of the article follows:

"I don’t know how the priest found out about a private procedure taking
place in Warsaw – Wanda Nowica, president of the Federation, wonders.-
Obviously, confidentiality of medical records and the patient’s right
to privacy have been violated.
According to reports provided by hospital employees, all hell broke
loose when abortion opponents appeared at the hospital. – It was a
horror – an employee says. They attacked her. In addition to the
priest, there were journalists from Radio Maryja or Trwam Television.
And the women from the anti-abortion organizations occupied the office.
If we went on with the procedure, the “mohair berets” [translator’s
note: conservative and older female supporters of Radio Maryja] would
have devouored us"

Agata was then released from this second hospital again without the procedure having been performed and anti-choice zealots have not given up:

Agata was discharged from hospital on Thursday. When she exited the
hospital with her mother, women from pro-life organizations followed
her – activists from the Federation say. The mother flagged a police
patrol car. The police took them to a police station in the Srodmiescie
District of Warsaw. But the pro-life activists made it there as well. Meanwhile, notification of a crime having been committed, the coercing
of a minor to undergo an abortion, was submitted at a police station in
the district of Mokotów in Warsaw. It was submitted by a representative
of the Polish Federation of Pro-Life Movements. The same organization is trying to amend the current law on family
planning and cross out the stipulation which allows the termination of
pregnancy when it results from rape or when there is a high
probability of fetal deformity or of an incurable disease. Terminating
the pregnancy would then be allowed only in order to save the mother’s
life. Pro-life activists did not leave Agata and her mother alone even at the police station.

According to a representative at the Federation, while anti-choice harassment is common, she has never seen this level of "persecution" before.

We’ll keep you posted but if you want to act – check out some of their campaigns that may help future "Agatas."