Pregnant for my rapist

Dear Pastor,

Good day. I was raped and now I am pregnant. I know who did it and I thought about reporting it at the police station, but I did not because I was too depressed about the way it happened.

Also, I did not want to go through the stress of going to court, because I already have a matter before the court. When it happened, I took contraceptives but they did not work.

I found out recently, after I missed my period and I took a pregnancy test.

Now I don't know what to do. I am not ready for a child, and I don't want to do an abortion unless it is legal. But I would have to report it and follow the procedures.

I can't carry a child right now, especially because I was raped, and because of the kind of father the child would have. How could I live with a child I was not prepared for?

I am currently seeking a job, as my contract ends at the end of June and will not be extended. I have sent out a lot of job applications and an agency is assisting me in finding a job.

But if I carry this child, I may not get a job. I have received a call for a job and I went on an interview and I was accepted. I did not start working because the salary that they were offering was really insufficient; I would have been underpaid.

Some nights I couldn't sleep when I remembered how I was raped. I don't know how I will sleep now knowing that I am pregnant. I had my whole life planned and goals to move ahead.

I know carrying a child will slow things down. I want to know how I should go about terminating the pregnancy legally because I was raped.

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

I regret hearing that you were raped. I understand how de pressed you might have been. But you made a big mistake by not reporting the matter.

I do not believe that it's too late to report this matter. It might be very difficult to prove, but if you are contemplating an abortion, you should talk to your family doctor and ask him for advice.

I do not want to say anymore on thi s matter here in this col umn. I have sent you an email and I am looking forward to your response. I would prefer to speak to you privately.

Pastor