Nev. Judge Rules Against Forced Abortion in Mentally Disabled Woman's Case
A judge in Nevada has decided to not force a mentally disabled woman to have an abortion, going with the stated wishes of the woman and her legal guardians.
Judge Egan Walker of Washoe County made the ruling earlier this week regarding a 32-year-old pregnant woman, a Costa-Rican-born adoptee who suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome and epilepsy. The decision came after weeks of hearings in which the legal guardians of the woman (whose identity has been kept anonymous) wanted her to carry the baby to term in keeping with their Catholic beliefs.
The case came up in September, when Social Services officials voiced concern over the health risks of the woman and the possible impact of her medication on the fetus. The case gained the attention of many pro-life groups, including Nevada's chapter of Right to Life. In an interview with lifenews.com, Nevada RTL president Melissa Clement expressed happiness at Judge Walker's decision.
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"The Washoe County Family Court will not intervene to force Elisa to have an abortion against her wishes and those of her parents…We saw the hearts and minds of the county officials and the judge change over the course of three weeks," said Clement.
"What started as bureaucratic overreach seeking to quickly eliminate a problematic fetus ended as a recognition that two lives were at stake and that care must be taken to protect them."
Dania Reid, Deputy District Attorney for Washoe County, told The Christian Post that the court documents regarding the case were sealed on Wednesday per the agreement of all parties, meaning that neither document nor comment could be provided.
Reid did mention to CP that "there has been no evidence presented substantiating the allegation that" the Court wanted the woman to have an abortion.
None of the parties, including the legal guardians or the woman, have expressed how she became pregnant.
According to Fox News, with forced abortion off the table, all parties will hold "additional medical evidentiary hearings" over the next few weeks to find a proper way to proceed from here.
