In a heart-wrenching incident, a young girl has tragically lost her life after what is being reported as a failed abortion attempt. The incident has sparked shock and concern, shedding light on the pressing issue of unsafe abortions and the need for proper reproductive healthcare.

The girl, 12-year-old Augustina Gabriel, who resides at Telekubukazo, a community in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, is reported to have been pronounced dead on arrival at the St. Martin de Porres Hospital in Eikwe.

Narrating what happened, Jonas Kubatey, the Ellembelle Social Welfare Officer, who confirmed the news of the death of the girl, said that there were suspicions that she died from the effects of a failed abortion.

He added that she was five-months pregnant at the time.

“We believe she took unprescribed medicine to get rid of the five-month-old pregnancy but she started having complications and was rushed to the Esiama Hospital where she was given First Aid. The Hospital even noticed that the placenta was already out before she was rushed there.

“Her situation was getting worse so they transferred her to the St. Martin de Porres Hospital at Eikwe where she was pronounced dead on arrival,” he said.

The officer further explained that the person who impregnant the deceased Augustina was a 21-year-old man living in the same area with her, and that her parents were aware of this relationship.

“She started having an affair with the boy at the age of eleven to the extent that the girl sometimes sleeps over at her boyfriend’s house.

“Her parents, who are herbalists, were even aware of the situation and they agreed to it since they were benefitting financially from the relationship,” he further added.

He added that the young man has since been invited to aid in some investigations.

Jonas Kabutey, however, stated that the case of the late Augustina is not an isolated one.

He explained that similar cases are a norm in the area, and being the paralegal of the Western Region, he called for support to be able to get this situation addressed properly.

“These issues are rampant in the Ellembelle District and when that happens, the parents refuse to report the case. They take money from the suspects and allow the case to slide. We need the intervention of NGOs and other organizations to help in curbing the situation.

“We need to have a lot of education for the people of Ellembelle on some of these things. We have Free Education so we don’t understand why parents allow their girl children in the Ellembelle District to follow men instead of being in school,” he stressed.