A 13-year-old girl living in Chungli City, Taoyuan County, gave birth on Thursday to a 2.1kg boy fathered by her 14-year-old brother, local media reported yesterday.
The girl, accompanied by her father, on Thursday sought medical treatment for what she thought was a severe stomach ache, doctors at Chungli's Tien Sheng Hospital said yesterday.
But doctors in the hospital's gastro-intestinal department were shocked to learn that the young girl was actually pregnant and about to give birth.
In response to the case, a social worker from Taoyuan County's Bureau of Social Affairs visited the girl and her family at the hospital yesterday.
According to the social worker, the girl had been sexually assaulted by her brother for a period of three to four years.
Because the victim was very young when the assaults began, she didn't know that it was wrong for a brother and sister to engage in intercourse and believed it to be a normal activity for siblings, the social worker said.
The girl's brother had often bought her beverages, asking her to keep their activity a secret from their parents. The girl told no one, the social worker said.
According to the county official, the girl's family is listed in Chungli as a "low-income household," and her parents often hold several part-time jobs in order to make ends meet. "The parents were too busy to take care of their children," the social worker said.
According to his school counselor, the brother was influenced by provocative television programming.
The parents, they are unable to raise the baby boy due to the family's financial difficulties. The social bureau is looking for a foster family for the baby.
Taoyuan prosecutors yesterday said the brother will be prosecuted on sexual assault charges.
RSS