Nicaragua to decide 9-yr-old rape victim fate

A government medical board in Nicaragua was studying whether a nine-year-old girl could carry her baby to term safely, the girl’s lawyer has said.

The girl’s parents said she was raped in Costa Rica and they have requested she receive an abortion. Abortion is allowed in Nicaragua in cases of sexual abuse when the mother’s life is in danger and when the foetus has severe deformities — all of which must be confirmed by three separate specialists. The girl returned to Nicaragua last week, and it was unclear how far along she was in her pregnancy.

‘‘We want this intervention as soon as possible for her health and well-being,’’ the girl’s father told local TV stations. Also interviewed by local media, the girl said she did not want to have a baby. ‘‘I don’t want to share my toys with other children,’’ she said. ‘‘I take care of my toys.’’

The girl’s parents have accused a Nicaraguan man of raping her in Costa Rica and urged authorities in that country to arrest him.