The mother of a 10-year-old girl from Haryana’s Rohtak, whose stepfather repeatedly raped her, has moved a district court seeking an abortion for the critically ill minor. The girl is five months pregnant, and Indian law allows abortion only within 20 weeks of conception. The woman said that she already has four children and cannot afford to bring up another child, the Rohtak Police told PTI.

The court is expected to hear the matter on Tuesday.

Doctors had discovered that the girl was pregnant after her mother took her to hospital on May 12. The woman is a labourer from Bihar and the accused is her husband and cousin. The girl said her stepfather had warned her not to tell anyone he was raping her. He was later arrested.