Girl, 13, who was sexually abused by her father for years dies while giving birth, baby boy survives
A 13-year-old Brazilian girl who was sexually abused her father for several years has died after giving birth to his child.
Luana Ketlen was found to be seven months pregnant when she was rushed to the Coari regional hospital earlier this month suffering from severe pain, according to the Daily Mail.
She was diagnosed with acute anemia and doctors decided to induce labor. She delivered a premature baby boy, who miraculously survived, though her health had deteriorated to the point she could not be saved.
Tests confirmed Luana was suffering from multiple complications, including cirrhosis of the liver, water on the lungs, and low blood pressure. She died as she was being airlifted to a specialist hospital in Manaus, 225 miles away.
Police subsequently issued a warrant for her father, 36-year-old Tome Faba, who they said had started abusing Luana when she was just nine years old.
He was apprehended in the city of Coari a week later, with Police Chief José Barradas confirming that the father had raped her on multiple occasions.
"The teenager lived with her parents in a rural area outside the city," he told reporters at a press conference. "She did not realize, until two months ago when she began to feel pain in her abdomen, that she was five months pregnant. Luana claimed she was ordered to go fishing with her father and was allegedly raped by him while there."
One of Luana's relatives described the teen as innocent and immature and said the girl was so traumatized by the abuse she kept it a secret. She said that when Luana eventually revealed who the culprit was, her mother refused to believe it.
Barradas said Faba had threatened to kill his daughter if she reported the abuse, but the family intervened to protect her. "Members of the family tried to step in and protect the child by alerting social services," he said.
"They reported the abuse to police and a warrant was issued for Tome's arrest but before it could be executed Luana's health deteriorated and she died shortly after childbirth."
Faba has been charged with child abuse and manslaughter in connection to his daughter's death and made his first appearance in court on December 27.
The baby boy is said to be doing "exceptionally well" in the hospital's neonatal unit, with doctors stating he was "strong and already breathing without a ventilator". Social services have not yet decided whether he will be handed over to his relatives.