Ten-year-old Indian rape victim gives birth

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A 10-year-old rape victim, whose parents' request for abortion was rejected by India's Supreme Court, gave birth to a baby girl in Chandigarh, a city in north of the country, on Thursday.

The girl, whose identity has been kept a secret due to her age despite the story of her pregnancy making headlines worldwide, has reportedly been raped repeatedly by her uncle for several months.

An Indian child poses with a placard as demonstrators participate in a protest in Allahabad on April 23, 2013, following the rape of a five-year old girl in New Delhi. /AFP photo

His crime came to light when the victim was taken to hospital after complaining of stomachache last month. Doctors found she had been pregnant for over 30 weeks.

Local media said her uncle was now arrested.

Dasari Harish, a physician who has followed her case, told AFP that "she gave birth through Caesarean section today. Both the girl and her baby are doing fine."

"The parents of the girl have refused to take custody of the child, and have agreed to her adoption through the state agency," he added.

The girl was not told she was pregnant, and she is unaware of having given birth. Her parents have told her she was undergoing a surgery in her stomach to remove a stone.

Indian parents of school children along with activists of various child rights organisations protest against school management over the sexual harassment of a six -year-old schoolgirl, in Bangalore on July 19, 2014. /AFP Photo

Her parents first asked the local court to allow the little girl to have a late-term abortion but their request was turned down.

Indian law does not allow the medical termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks unless the mother-to-be or the child's life is in danger.

Last month, the parents made a plea to the Supreme Court to grant the girl permission for abortion. Their request was also rejected for similar reasons.

An increasing number of such cases have ended in courts in recent years.

In May, a local court allowed another 10-year-old girl allegedly raped by her stepfather to have an abortion.

The Indian grandmother (C) of a minor girl who was raped sits among protesters near the home of the child in New Delhi on October 17, 2015. /AFP Photo

Sexual violence against children and women is an issue that dominates public discussion in India.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showed that a total of 34,651 rape cases were reported in India with a total of 10,854 cases of child rape.

A child is defined by the NCRB as below the age of 18.

Meanwhile, activists say that many such cases go unreported as the assailant more often than not is known to the victim.

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