Houston, Texas — A teenage girl in Texas has won a legal battle to stop her parents from forcing her to have an abortion.
As previously reported, the 16-year-old, who is only identified as R.E.K. since she is still a minor, is two months pregnant. She asserts that both her mother and father “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 mother] invited the paternal grandparents to a bar for further discussion, where she suggested that she might slip her an abortion pill through deception,” her attorneys explained in legal documents. “[The father] became extremely angry, was insistent that R.E.K. was not having the baby, and that the decision was not up to her. He stated he was going to take her to have an abortion and that the decision was his, end of story.”
The girl also says that her parents have punished her for not obtaining the abortion by taking away her phone and car, keeping her home from school and forcing her to work two jobs to “make her miserable so that she would give in to the coercion and have the abortion.”
On Monday, the court granted an injunction against the parents, allowing the girl to give birth. The girl is also allowed to use her car to go to school, work and to drive to medical appointments. Additionally, unless she marries her boyfriend, the girl’s parents will be liable for half of her medical bills.
“This is a tremendous victory and another life has been saved,” said Greg Terra, the president of the Texas Center for Defense of Life, which is representing R.K. “Our victory today stands for the principle that ‘choice’ goes both ways. Under Roe v. Wade and post-Roe cases, a teenage girl has the absolute legal right to choose life, even over the strong objections, pressure, and punishments of her parents. We are extremely happy with the outcome today and we are very proud of our teenage client for being strong enough to stand against her parents to save her unborn child’s life.”
“We’re glad that they stood up for the right to life,” added attorney Stephen Casey to reporters. “Our client recognized that her unborn child had a right to live and she wanted to protect that.”
The girl’s father has denied forcing his daughter to have an abortion, and states that he believes someone set up R.K. to sue her parents.
R.E.K. attended the court proceedings on Monday, along with her boyfriend and his parents. Reports state that after an hour and a half of discussion behind closed doors, attorneys worked out an agreement between the girl and her parents. The parents have also said that they are giving their daughter permission to marry the father of the child.
Her boyfriend, Evan Madison, spoke to reporters following the decision.
“We want to get her back at our house,” he said. “So, if we can get married, so that we can get her back over there, that’s what we want to do.”
Madison’s parents are supportive of the marriage and the couple’s desire to choose life.
Become a Christian News Network Supporter...
Dear Reader, has ChristianNews.net been of benefit and a blessing to you? For many years now, the Lord has seen fit to use this small news outlet as a strong influential resource in keeping Christians informed on current events from a Biblical worldview. With much compromise and many falsehoods in modern-day Christianity, we strive to bring you the news by keeping Christ and His word in focus. If you have benefited from our news coverage, please prayerfully consider becoming a Christian News supporter by clicking here to make a one-time or monthly donation to help keep the truth of God's word widely and freely published and distributed. May Christ continue to be exalted through this work!
