A 10-year-old girl experienced severe stomach pain, leading to a shocking discovery: doctors found she was six months pregnant.
The girl’s mother, who is 25, took her to a hospital in Colonia Dora, Argentina, after her daughter complained of an aching stomach, as reported by Infobae.
During the visit, the mother informed the attending obstetrician that her daughter had not had her menstrual cycle. An examination followed, revealing that the girl was well into her pregnancy.
Authorities began an investigation after the child revealed she had been sexually abused by her stepfather, Julio Vivas.
The 33-year-old man was arrested at the home he shared with his partner and her daughter, and police took his mobile phone for examination.
Vivas is currently in custody while the authorities look into the details surrounding the alleged incidents.
So far, there hasn’t been any official update on the specific charges, according to reports from El Doce.
After Vivas’ arrest, the girl’s grandmother, Norma, expressed her earlier concerns, telling Noticiero 7 that she had cautioned her daughter against trusting her partner, whom she had met online, or leaving him alone with the young girl.
“She met him through the phone, but I always told her not to trust him too much,” Norma Gomez stated.
“I went through the same thing the little girl went through when I was eight years old. I know what it’s like to suffer. I always told my husband: if they touch one of my children, I’m capable of killing them with my own hands.”
The girl’s teacher expressed surprise over the allegations, noting that she had not seen any signs of distress from her student. “She’s a quiet girl, she does her homework… I’ve never noticed any strange behavior from her, nor has she ever been upset,” the teacher said.
The case comes just months after another tragic situation in Brazil, where a 10-year-old girl also gave birth to a child conceived by her stepfather. Hospital staff reported her case to the police due to her young age. That man, 23, was arrested in April after being accused of repeatedly assaulting his stepdaughters, aged eight and ten. Their mother was also detained for allegedly trying to shield him.
Sexual violence against minors is a significant issue across Latin America, as highlighted in a report requested by the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights. The report indicates that children are most vulnerable in their own homes, while teenagers face risks both at home and in their communities.
UNICEF reports that two out of every three children aged one to 14 in the region experience violent discipline at home. However, reliable data on childhood sexual violence is scarce, primarily due to inconsistent definitions of such acts.
In Argentina, government data from 2023 reveals that more than 40 percent of sexual violence victims are children or adolescents. Additionally, reports indicate a significant increase in cases of sexual violence nationwide, escalating from 13,003 in 2016 to 41,697 by 2021.
