Girl, Age 9, Gives Birth in Mexico

By Anne Laurent:

A 9-year-old Mexican girl, under the reported name of Dafne, gave birth to a baby girl on Jan. 27, 2013 in Jalisco, Mexico.

Both mother and child are at home and healthy, Dr. Enrique Rabago, director of Zoquipan Hospital, said at a press conference this morning.

The search continues, according to authorities, for the baby's 17-year-old father, who may be criminally charged for having a sexual relationship with Dafne.

"Due to her young age, we don't know if she is being entirely truthful," says Lino Ginzalez Corona, spokesperson at Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office, who received an account of the relationship from the young mother who describes a loving relationship.

According to Corona, the 17-year-old and Dafne were dating but the young girl is unwilling to release any further information regarding the association between the two.

"She did not realize that she was pregnant until the seventh month," said Corona. Her boyfriend suggested Dafne move in with him and to raise the child together but when the young mother refused, her boyfriend "decided to leave town two months ago," says Corona.

State authorities are searching for the father of the child to acquire his own account of what occurred between the two. The prosecutor's office in the state of Jalisco said they are willing to request cooperation from neighboring state authorities if necessary.

Corona says the state prosecutor is "still open to the possibility of rape or child sex abuse."

Dafne, who is one of 11 children, lives in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, a poverty-stricken neighborhood 25 miles south of Guadalajara. "Her parents work all day and were not watching after her," says Corona, "and therefore didn't realize what was about to happen."

The girl was given a C-Section at the time of the birth. "Due to her young age and to the fact that her body was not ready to give birth," says Rabago, "the medical team decided a C-Section was the best option" for both mother and child.

Rabago said at the press conference that Dafne will be receiving both medical and psychological attention.

Last year, in Zoquipan Hospital, around 25 percent of the pregnancies were among teens.

Anger is a normal reaction, right?

It's sad, but it's really not that uncommon for girls that age to get pregnant after sexual abuse. And she is, by far, not the youngest girl to have a baby.

I was looking into this a few months ago after I read about a girl who had birthed a live and healthy baby at age 5, and was quite shocked. There is a fairly lengthy recorded list of girls under the age of 10 having babies...mostly from sexual abuse, but a good few after "experimenting" with boys close in age to them.

To get pregnant you must be ... Er... Having your "monthly gift" right? Is it normal for girls to get their first periods that young? I got mine At 12

I am absolutely angry, disgusted, sad.

WHY WHY WHY would the parents allow this pregnancy to go to term? Is motherhood and pregnancy truly what is best for a 9 year old child who was sexually abused?! (yes, having sex with a 9 year old is abuse. period. she is a child who is in no way mature enough to understand what sex is or the consequences. A 17 year old should know that, that is ABUSE.)
Her body is just starting to develop, the whole thing could have killed her! Not to mention the mental repercussions.
How will she got to school? how will her body continue to change? How will she face her peers? This will affect the rest of her life. A constant reminder of the abuse.

(Why is a rhetorical questions. I can think of many reasons why one might let this happen. I just think they are all wrong.)

I am absolutely angry, disgusted, sad.

WHY WHY WHY would the parents allow this pregnancy to go to term? Is motherhood and pregnancy truly what is best for a 9 year old child who was sexually abused?! (yes, having sex with a 9 year old is abuse. period. she is a child who is in no way mature enough to understand what sex is or the consequences. A 17 year old should know that, that is ABUSE.)
Her body is just starting to develop, the whole thing could have killed her! Not to mention the mental repercussions.
How will she got to school? how will her body continue to change? How will she face her peers? This will affect the rest of her life. A constant reminder of the abuse.

(Why is a rhetorical questions. I can think of many reasons why one might let this happen. I just think they are all wrong.)

It sounds like in this case it was not the parents being "friends" but that they were probably working and not available. Sad fate for many poor communities is the children get left behind because the parents have no choice but to be gone for most of the day working. Not saying that is ok either but I dont think it sounds like a case of not caring.

Ok among other outrages...
This NINE year old feels she has a relationship with this 17 year old and won't give his name...
HELLO PARENTS? ARE YOU THERE? The
Child is NINE. You don't KNOW what this child is
Doing or te 17 year old she has a "relationship" with? This doesn't seem to be q case of rape as in one time and voila she is pregnant. It was a "relationship"? How do you drop the ball
So badly that your 9 year old child has a "relationship" with a guy twice her age and you have no idea who he is?

I get the blame lies on the abuser but seriously... Parents STOP BEING FRIENDS and start being accountable for your childs life. If this happened and I was the parent... My guilt would be unbelievable. I
Would feel like a total failure as a parent.

As for how will this child go on... I assume the parents will raise the child as a sibling or an adoptive family will be found.

I find it concerning that 9 year olds consider RELATIONSHIPS and sexual interactions.

This is NOT victim blaming but i feel in our society we are Over sexualizing children and leading them to pressures to give it up to anyone you may kind of like maybe sorta.