A Texas district court judge has issued a temporary restraining order in favor of a 16-year-old girl whose parents tried to force her into an abortion.
The teenager who is still a high school student, is 13 weeks pregnant and has confirmed her wish to keep the baby.
"No one should be allowed to decide that an innocent life – especially one that belongs to someone else – is worthless," said Stephen Casey, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund.
"The right not to have an abortion is protected by law, and this right isn’t relinquished just because someone else considers the child to be an unwanted burden," he added.
According to the motion, the student was taken by her parents to the International Health Care Solutions, an abortion facility, in Austin, Texas, earlier this month. She refused to go through with the abortion and was taken back home. But two days later, she was again taken for an abortion, this time to Planned Parenthood, and yet again she declined her personal consent to the abortion.
Recounting the experience, the teen testified that her mother was screaming at her as they returned to the car after leaving the clinic “because of my choice not to get an abortion.”
"We got into a big argument,” she continued. “She (the mother) then grabbed me by the back of my pants and started to pull me away. I tried getting her off but she dragged me behind a couple of trees and pushed me down to where I had injured my knee and there was blood dripping down it. She let go and I got back on my feet and started to run away, possibly to get help, but she caught up to me and pulled me by my pants again. When we were by the car, I tried my hardest to hold onto the bed of the truck. My arms slipped off the car and she continued to drag me until I got to the front door of the clinic."
Apparently, the parents have informed the teenager that they will continue to attempt to force her against her will into the abortion. As such, she has accused her parents of being physically, verbally and emotionally abusive and is seeking to be removed from the home. She is still living with her parents at this stage.
Her attorneys argue that under Texas and U.S. law, the young girl has a right to make her own reproductive decisions. A hearing in the case is scheduled for later this week to consider a motion to convert the temporary restraining order into a temporary injunction.
(Image is from file)