Latest news with #teenpregnancy
News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
Queensland court grants girl, 12, an abortion
A court has ruled a 12-year-old Queensland girl can get an abortion after falling pregnant to her 13-year-old boyfriend. The girl, given the pseudonym E, was nine-weeks pregnant when the Supreme Court of Queensland heard an application by an unnamed hospital to perform the surgical abortion last month. According to the court's judgment, posted on Wednesday, the girl fell pregnant after consensual sex with her boyfriend who was aware of both the pregnancy and desire for termination. The girl was supported by her mother but her father had not been notified 'due to concerns that he may become violent towards E'. 'E is starting to experience the symptoms of pregnancy, and is missing out on school,' the judgment states. 'She wants to obtain the termination before she begins to show signs of pregnancy, so that her father and her sister are not alerted to her pregnancy.' Orders were sought from the court because hospital staff were concerned that E lacked the capacity to consent to the termination herself. Under Queensland law a parent cannot consent to an abortion on behalf of an underage child, meaning the court had to decide whether E could consent herself. 'Historically, children have had no capacity at all to consent or refuse treatment,' Justice Catherine Muir wrote. 'This was always within their parents' remit. Now the law recognises that there are certain developmental stages relevant to a young person's ability to consent to medical care.' The court heard E immediately desired an abortion after learning of her pregnancy and she already made an attempt using an abortion tablet from a pharmacy. 'In terms of her father, E says she is fearful he will 'lose it' if he finds out she is pregnant, and her mother shares that concern,' Justice Muir wrote. Despite recently exhibiting some 'immature behaviour', including being suspended from school for swearing at a teacher, Justice Muir said E's mother described her as a 'bright and intelligent young individual with a promising future ahead of her'. 'This is consistent with how E presented before me today, expressing a desire to move forward with her life and to focus on her education,' she wrote. 'I expect that the experience of having to come to court has also been an opportunity for E to really reflect on her life moving forward.' She said: 'Critically, E was able to explain to me what she understood she was doing by choosing to terminate the baby, and also that there were risks with this procedure, including bleeding, risks for future pregnancy, cramping and infection'. Concerns were raised by a psychologist, an obstetrician and gynaecologist and a midwife over E's capacity to understand the procedure and its risks, the court heard. Justice Muir noted that E first got her period at age nine and, as stated by her mother, that was consistent of having knowledge of her body and how it functioned. 'This application really seemed to distil down to the concern of the hospital staff about E's understanding of the risks associated with this surgery, and that, I accept, is an understandable concern. 'But having now heard from E in court, I am satisfied that she does sufficiently understand not only what is proposed, that is the surgical termination, but also the risks of having that termination, particularly the risks such as the bleeding and the consequences for further pregnancy, although, again, I note that the proceduralist assesses those risks as not being significant in this case.'
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders fans slam ‘worst storyline in soap history' as they claim it ‘didn't need' to happen
EASTENDERS fans are fuming with soap bosses after branding a teen pregnancy twist the 'worst storyline in soap history'. Raging EastEnders viewers went online in droves, claiming the controversial plot 'didn't need to happen' and blasting writers for being 'so unrealistic." 5 5 The backlash comes after Lily Slater's pregnancy storyline sent shockwaves through Albert Square - and completely turned the Slater and Branning families' lives upside down. The hard-hitting plot saw Lily, played by Lillia Turner, fall pregnant at just 12, with the father revealed as Ricky Jr - sparking fierce debate among viewers and dividing opinion across the country. Many fans praised the show for tackling a sensitive subject, while others branded it 'unrealistic' and 'unnecessary' for a family soap. And some fans blasted the BBC soap for " normalising teenage pregnancy". Taking to an online forum on Reddit, one fan wrote: "This has bugged me for a while now - the fact that Lily, at age 12, still a kid, gave birth to a healthy baby with absolutely no problems whatsoever, for either her or her baby. "Lilys brain was still developing yet the Slaters saw it a good idea for her to become a mother at such a young age. "I find that absolutely disgusting, especially because Stacey was struggling to make ends meet during that time." Another fan added: "The issue with Lily's pregnancy is that at no point did anyone try to engage Lily in an adult conversation about what having a baby would mean for her life. "Lily just stomped out of every conversation she didn't want to have, and Stacey and Martin let her." A third penned: "Lily had a baby at 13 with a boy her own age, nobody really bothered to explain the risks in a meaningful way and everyone's just sort of moved on?" A fourth commented: "I agree, it was so unrealistic and it really p***** me off. No one told her the effects it would have on her emotionally or on her body, or how it would change the course of her life. EastEnders legend returning to Albert Square 11 years after quitting Walford – weeks after Zoe Slater & Max Branning "She adapted so quickly and it's irresponsible to portray a 12 year old getting pregnant this way. "Also Ricky lives across the road and never seemed to be helping." Meanwhile, the new EastEnders boss, Ben Wadey, is lining up several returns. Nicholas Bailey has reprised his role as Dr. Anthony Trueman - son of soap stalwart Patrick (Rudolph Walker) - after 11 years away. Soap's most harrowing teen storylines We take a look at other harrowing teen soap storylines from soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. Belle Dingle's schizophrenia in Emmerdale - Belle's (Eden Taylor-Draper) traumatic journey in Emmerdale took a dark turn when, after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma at just 16, her mental health began to spiral. The storyline, which saw Belle struggling with her grief and guilt, showcased her battle with hearing Gemma's voice inside her head, leading to a dramatic decline in her well-being. Hannah Ashworth's anorexia in Hollyoaks - Viewers were horrified as they watched Hannah (Emma Rigby), a seemingly innocent teen, spiral into dangerous behavior, starving herself in an attempt to achieve what she thought was the ideal body. As Hannah's condition worsened, the storyline became more intense, culminating in her being hospitalised for two months as she fought for her life. Bethany Platt's grooming ordeal in Coronation Street - Vulnerable schoolgirl, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie's darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator. The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her. Whitney Dean's abuse from Tony in EastEnders - Since the age of 12, she had been in a twisted relationship with her stepmum Bianca's boyfriend, Tony King. The predator had groomed young Whit (Shona McGarty), making her believe she was in love and planning to run away with him. On her 16th birthday, the traumatised teen finally revealed the years of abuse to Bianca. Tony was swiftly sent to prison sentenced for 13 years. It comes as Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) recently made her long-awaited return to Albert Square. The legendary Max Branning (Jake Wood) is also set for a return in upcoming scenes. While Max's son Oscar has also returned to Walford, with the role recast to Pierre Mouiller. And Max Bowden is making a shock return as Ben Mitchell - two years after he was axed. The actor will get a guest stint in the coming months, with a possible full-time role if all goes well. Then-showrunner Chris Clenshaw gave Max the boot at the end of 2023 during a showdown over his party lifestyle. But he has been given another chance by the BBC soap's new boss. A source said: 'Ben had a list of characters he wanted to bring back and Ben Mitchell was one. It's taken a little while to sort out but Max will be back filming on Albert Square later this year.' In April, the new boss went to see Max, 30, in the musical Midnight Cowboy. The source added: 'Ben wanted to meet Max and see where his head was at. 'Things hadn't ended particularly well and Ben wanted to assure him this could be his fresh start. "Max agreed to return for a short stint after Ben pitched his comeback storyline. "But who knows what will happen? It really does depend on Max.' 5 5 5
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Sickening family secrets that led to baby being found in Walmart bathroom
Disturbing news details have emerged in the case of a Texas man arrested after his teenage daughter gave birth in a Walmart bathroom. Kingsville Police responded to the store just before 10.30pm on July 14, after receiving a call that a maintenance worker discovered a newborn child in a bathroom trash can while taking out the garbage, KRIS 6 reported. In the aftermath, officers reviewed the store's security camera footage and discovered that a 17-year-old girl had entered the bathroom, where she remained for about 40 minutes, before leaving the store and getting into a car in the parking lot. Police were ultimately able to track down the teenager's car and performed a traffic stop, before taking the girl to the hospital for treatment. The teen's father, Jerry Lee Martinez, 45, was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child after she told investigators he was the father of her baby. She told police that Martinez had begun 'touching her inappropriately' when she was 15 years old and forced her to have sex with him several times over the last two years, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KIII. The girl said Martinez was the father of the child and when he found out that she was pregnant, he hit her in the stomach on several occasions. She told investigators that he took her to Mexico earlier in the day to have an abortion before she delivered the stillborn in Walmart. Walmart employees tried to perform life saving measures on the infant and authorities rushed the child to the hospital right next door, where doctors pronounced her dead. Police were ultimately able to track down the teenager's car and performed a traffic stop, before taking the girl to the hospital for treatment. The teen girl is not in police custody and was taken to a 'secure location' while her father was arrested. Martinez is also facing charges of abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence, tampering with a witness and tampering with physical evidence 'The avenue taken last night wasn't the correct one, wasn't a safe one for the mother or the child,' Celinda Tatum, a Kingsville Police Department accident investigator told KRIS 6. 'We do advise that anytime an incident does occur at any moment, contact police or emergency personnel so that the baby and the mother can get seen medically.' Martinez is being held at the Kleberg County Jail on $600,000 bond, and prosecutors warned at his court appearance on Thursday that he could face additional charges.
CNA
07-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Commentary: Russia is paying schoolgirls to have babies. Why is pronatalism on the rise around the world?
ABERYSTWYTH, United Kingdom: In some parts of Russia, schoolgirls who become pregnant are being paid more than 100,000 roubles (about US$1,270) for giving birth and raising their babies. This new measure, introduced in the past few months across 10 regions, is part of Russia's new demographic strategy, widening the policy adopted in March which only applied to adult women. It is designed to address the dramatic decline in the country's birthrate. In 2023, the number of births in Russia per woman was 1.41 – substantially below 2.05, which is the level required to maintain a population at its current size. Paying teenage girls to have babies while they are still in school is controversial in Russia. According to a recent survey by the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, 43 per cent of Russians approve of the policy, while 40 per cent are opposed to it. But it indicates the high priority that the state places on increasing the number of children being born. Russia's President Vladimir Putin regards a large population as one of the markers of a flourishing great power, along with control over a vast (and growing) territory and a powerful military. Paradoxically, though, his efforts to increase the physical size of Russia by attacking Ukraine and illegally annexing its territory have also been disastrous in terms of shrinking Russia's population. The number of Russian soldiers killed in the war has reached 250,000 by some estimates, while the war sparked an exodus of hundreds of thousands of some of the most highly educated Russians. Many of them are young men fleeing military service who could have been fathers to the next generation of Russian citizens. But while Russia's demographic situation is extreme, declining birth rates are now a global trend. It is estimated that by 2050 more than three-quarters of the world's countries will have such low fertility rates that they will not be able to sustain their populations. IT'S NOT ONLY RUSSIA Putin is not the only world leader to introduce policies designed to encourage women to have more babies. Viktor Orban's government in Hungary is offering a range of incentives, such as generous tax breaks and subsidised mortgages, to those who have three or more children. Poland makes a monthly payment of 500 złoty (about US$140) per child to families with two or more children. But there's some evidence this has not prompted higher-income Polish women to have more children, as they might have to sacrifice higher earnings and career advancement to have another child. In the United States, Donald Trump is proposing to pay women US$5,000 to have a baby, tied to a wider MAGA movement push, supported by Elon Musk and others, to encourage women to have larger families. Reversing demographic trends is complex, because the reasons that individuals and couples have for becoming parents are also complex. Personal preferences and aspirations, beliefs about their ability to provide for children, as well as societal norms and cultural and religious values all play a part in these decisions. As a result, the impact of 'pronatalist' policies has been mixed. No country has found an easy way to reverse declining birth rates. One country seeking to address population decline with policies, other than encouraging women to have more babies is Spain, which now allows an easier pathway to citizenship for migrants, including those who entered the country illegally. Madrid's embrace of immigrants is being credited for its current economic boom. LOOKING FOR PARTICULAR TYPES OF FAMILIES But governments that adopt pronatalist policies tend to be concerned, not simply with increasing the total number of people living and working in their countries, but with encouraging certain kinds of people to reproduce. In other words, there is often an ideological dimension to these practices. Incentives for pregnancy, childbirth and large families are typically targeted at those whom the state regards as its most desirable citizens. These people may be desirable citizens due to their race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation or some other identity or combination of identities. For instance, the Spanish bid to increase the population by increasing immigration offers mostly Spanish speakers from Catholic countries in Latin America jobs while opportunities to remain in, or move to, the country does appear to be extended to migrants from Africa. Meanwhile, Hungary's incentives to families are only available to heterosexual couples who earn high incomes. The emphasis on increasing the proportion of the most desirable citizens is why the Trump administration sees no contradiction in calling for more babies to be born in the US, while ordering the arrest and deportation of hundreds of alleged illegal migrants, attempting to reverse the constitutional guarantee of US citizenship for anyone born in the country and even attempting to withdraw citizenship from some Americans. MOTHERHOOD MEDALS, "TRAD" WIVES The success or failure of governments and societies that promote pronatalism hinges on their ability to persuade people – and especially women – to embrace parenthood. Along with financial incentives and other tangible rewards for having babies, some states offer praise and recognition for the mothers of large families. Putin's reintroduction of the Stalin-era motherhood medal for women with 10 or more children is one example. Sometimes the recognition comes from society, such as the current American fascination with 'trad wives' – women who become social media influencers by turning their backs on careers in favour of raising large numbers of children and living socially conservative lifestyles. The mirror image of this celebration of motherhood is the implicit or explicit criticism of women who delay childbirth or reject it altogether. Russia's parliament passed a law in 2024 to ban the promotion of childlessness, or 'child-free propaganda'. This legislation joins other measures such as restrictions on abortions in private clinics, together with public condemnation of women who choose to study at university and pursue careers rather than prioritise marriage and child-rearing. The world's most prosperous states would be embracing immigration if pronatalist policies were driven solely by the need to ensure a sufficient workforce to support the economy and society. Instead, these attempts are often bound up with efforts to restrict or dictate the choices that citizens – and especially women – make about their personal lives, and to create a population dominated by the types of the people they favour.
The Independent
24-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
A pregnant teen was sent away to a place that promised to help. Then they took her baby
When Abbi Johnson became pregnant at 16, no one offered her a baby shower. Instead, she got sent away to a maternity home for young, unwed mothers. In her evangelical household in North Carolina, premarital sex wasn't just taboo — it was a sin. The mentality of 'saving yourself' until marriage was the most consistent thread throughout her upbringing, she told The Independent. Her father gave her a purity ring, proudly announcing to others that she had 'promised him her virginity' until she was married. That expectation is a ritual many evangelical girls go through, reinforced by youth pastors who preach modesty and obedience, warning girls not to 'tempt' boys with the way they behave or dress. So when Abbi got pregnant back in 2008, her devout parents, ashamed and desperate to hide the fallout, sent her to the Liberty Godparent Home — a little-known maternity facility on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. There, she was told she would be safe. Supported. Guided. What she didn't know was that she was entering a system that many women now say was built on coercion, control, and a quiet transaction: her baby in exchange for her future. The home for young mothers was a place that, in hindsight, felt eerily reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale — not in costume, but in control. There were locks on the windows and doors. The girls were required to attend church services together, taught to obey without question, and then they were punished when they rebelled. Their pregnancies were treated as moral failures that needed to be atoned for. At the end of their time, a ceremony was held — there was cake, gifts, and family. But this wasn't a celebration of motherhood. It was a goodbye. This is when they handed over their babies — whether they truly wanted to or not. The twisted transaction is the center of Liberty Lost, a powerful new investigative podcast from Wondery, that dropped Monday. Hosted by journalist T.J. Raphael, the six-part series pulls back the curtain on the Godparent Home and the culture of forced adoption inside America 's most powerful evangelical university. Raphael reveals the dystopian reality behind a secretive institution on campus, where pregnant teens have come forward years later to report feeling pressured and coerced into giving up their babies for adoption. At the heart of the story featured in the podcast is Abbi — now in her 30s with a family, living on the opposite coast from the Bible belt – who is determined to tell the truth she says has been buried for nearly two decades, along with the trauma that never left her. After giving birth, Abbi continued her time at Liberty University to fulfill her expected role of a 'normal' college student. But while other teenage girls were 'listening to Taylor Swift and working at Forever 21,' she found it hard to care about any of it. Instead, she was consumed with the loss of the son she had handed over to a 'affluent, married Christian couple' because she was told it was 'God's plan.' 'I was raised to understand that this was the path … I'd been hearing it my whole life, the rhetoric that a baby deserves two loving parents and married households, you know,' Abbi told The Independent. What Abbi experienced stems from a dark history that began with Jerry Falwell Sr, who created these maternity homes in response to Roe v Wade back in the 1980s. But what many do not know is that some of these homes still exist today. 'It's not even about needing that historical context to know this is what's happening,' she said. 'It's what happened to me.' A history hidden in plain sight The Liberty Godparent Home was established in 1982 and sits on Liberty University's sprawling campus, founded by Falwell — a man who helped build the modern Christian Right, advocating for a 'pro-family' agenda focused on issues like abortion, school prayer, and traditional family values. 'One man for woman for one lifetime and no sex — period — outside of marriage,' his voice booms in one of the snippets from the podcast. Falwell died in 2007, but his legacy and his mission lived on. Now, Godparent Home is one of a growing number of faith-based maternity homes that claim to offer support to young pregnant women. But as Raphael discovers, the real message inside the walls was often far more punishing. If these girls complete the Godparent Home's program, they're eligible for a full-ride scholarship to Liberty, Raphael says. Liberty Lost draws from intimate interviews with Abbi and three other women who lived in the Home between 1991 and 2008, weaving together stories of isolation, manipulation, and loss. 'God's plan' Abbi wasn't physically forced to hand over her baby. But after her parents refused to let her return home with the baby, with no financial support — and with the prospect of a full college scholarship dangling in front of her — she felt her options were limited. 'It wasn't what I wanted to do at all,' Abbi told The Independent. 'But it was incredibly confusing. I would ask, 'Why do complete strangers get to have my son, and I have to earn a relationship with him?' I hadn't done anything wrong. But they laid down the law — this was the punishment, and I was expected to live it gracefully.' The adoption was sold to her as 'open,' but when Abbi tried to advocate for more contact, she was denied. Her monitored visits ended. The relationship with her son — already fragile — faded. That loss, she says, ultimately freed her to speak. 'If my son was seeking this information, I wanted it to be there. And when the other women started coming forward, it was like the biggest hug — emotionally, it was validating and gratifying. I wasn't alone.' She posted videos of herself telling her story and began receiving messages from other women who had similar experiences. Some had no support from anyone, others had family support, but the financial burden was too much to do on their own. Abbi's own experience was shaped not only by the staff at the home but by the deeply rooted religious culture she grew up in. Both of her parents admitted to being influenced by their religious culture when making the decision to send their daughter away, and then expressed regret in response to the podcast. 'When our daughter became pregnant at 16, I made mistakes in my guidance that resulted in lifelong consequences,' her mother, Debbie Blanzy, wrote in a statement shared with the podcast. 'Influenced by a culture that believed babies developed best in two-parent homes, I embraced this philosophy and didn't connect with our daughter's earnest desire to parent her baby son.' She explained that their health insurance would not cover any of the expenses incurred during the birth. But the Godparent Home, at the university where she is an alum, had promised her expenses would be covered – on the condition that she complete the program. 'In other words, if she left early without staff approval, we would have to reimburse the Home for the expenses incurred for our daughter's time scared me.' 'There was so much I didn't realize back then about adoption, adoptee trauma, and the injurious aftermath suffered by birth parents,' she said, adding that she has come to 'see things about the practice of adoption in the U.S. that are in need of reform.' Abbi's father, Don, echoed the regret in his statement: 'Knowing what I know now, I would not have allowed the adoption process to proceed,' he said. 'I should have simply said, 'We are having a baby. Let us celebrate and go home,'' he added, admitting that he had been 'wrongfully influenced by the culture around me.' A dangerous resurgence What happened to Abbi isn't just history — it's prophecy. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there has been a 23 percent increase in maternity homes across the United States. And Liberty's Godparent Home sits at the center of this growing movement. 'People think these homes went away,' says Raphael. 'They didn't. They never stopped existing. If anything, in 2025, they're growing. Since the end of Roe, there has been an effort to grow them across the country.' Through her research, Raphael found that $50 million in state and federal funding has fueled the expansion of anti-abortion counseling centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes. The former director of the Godparent Home sat for years on the leadership council of the National Maternity Housing Coalition — run by Heartbeat International, the largest anti-abortion organization in the world. That's why this story matters now, Raphael says. 'I wanted to tell a story that could speak to our present moment. And what I learned is that the post-Roe landscape isn't just about banning abortion — it's about controlling the outcomes of birth. That includes who gets to be a parent.' The Independent has reached out to both Liberty University and the Godparent Home for comment, but has not received a response. They did not respond to multiple requests for comment by Liberty Lost. More than a story — it's a warning Liberty Lost isn't just about one maternity home, or one girl. The series asks a chilling question in a post-Roe America: Who gets to decide who is worthy of becoming, or remaining, a parent? 'There's a need, in theory, for these places – places that provide safe housing, food, support for vulnerable women,' Raphael said. 'That is a wonderful idea in theory, but when it is intertwined with potentially problematic values about single motherhood, that's where the problem is and that's when women face the risk of being separated from their children.' For Abbi Johnson, the wound has never healed. But speaking out, she says, is part of the path forward — not just for her, but for others. 'My biggest hope is that people think a lot more about the circumstances a woman finds herself in that she would even be considering adoption,' she said. 'Who's putting that option in front of her and how is it being presented and how is she being made to feel in terms of support?' 'And not just in that moment – of that traumatic experience of being pregnant when you feel like you have no support and no resources – but think about every factor that goes into finding yourself in that situation,' she continued. 'Think about what we offer women and why we offer those options and why this idea that there are better women suited for someone else's baby is such a culturally accepted idea.'
