The battle lines were drawn as a 16 year old Harris County teen girl took her parents to court to protect her right to have a baby. According to earlier reports, the parents were allegedly causing physical, mental and emotional abuse as well as coercion to make their daughter have an abortion. At 10 weeks pregnant the court granted the injunction that will remain in place, allowing the teen, only identified as R.E.K, to complete her pregnancy.
As part of the injunction, the parents are required to reinstate the teens driving privileges, so that she may use it to drive to school, work and doctor's or other medical appointments.
"This is a tremendous victory and another life has been saved," said Greg Terra, the girl's lawyer and president of the Texas Center for Defense of Life, a pro-life advocacy group. "Our victory today stands for the principle that 'choice' goes both ways. Under Roe v. Wade and post-Roe cases, a teenage girl has the absolute legal right to choose life, even over the strong objections, pressure, and punishments of her parents."
The parties, including the teen girl, her boyfriend, her parents, and their attorney's met to reach an agreement regarding the pregnancy and future of the unborn child. The parents, have also agreed to grant permission for their daughter to marry her boyfriend, and the couple plans to marry, the LA Times reports. But they probably won't do that any time soon as the court order and agreement state that if they don't marry the teen girls parents are responsible for half of the hospital bill when she gives birth. The parents have also been ordered to pay for her phone bill and part of her medical insurance.
Heather Busby, executive director of Austin-based NARAL Pro Choice Texas told The Times “We support this woman and every young woman’s decision, whatever their decision is about their pregnancy,” she said. “It’s a victory for women’s reproductive health. It confirms that women should have the ability to determine what happens to their bodies and what happens with a pregnancy, no matter what the choice is."
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