The news that a 12 year old girl and a 13 year old boy recently had a child together in the UK has drawn a strong reaction from Japanese netizens, attracting the highest number of comments on the popular website Ameba News.
Although the teenage pregnancy rate in the UK has fallen on average, it often ranks among the highest in developed nations and the highest in Europe, whereas in Japan the number of teenage pregnancies is consistently one of the lowest in the world.
Indeed, as some netizens point out, to have children at such a young age would be almost unimaginable in Japan, which might go some way toward explaining their reaction to this news.
From Ameba News:
12 And 13 Years Old! Baby Born Safely To Youngest Parents In Britain
A boy has become a father at 13, and a girl has become a mother at only 12, making them the youngest parents in Britain. The pair, who met in North London at Christmas two years ago, fell in love and started dating, but at the time the girl, who has become the youngest mother, was only in the sixth year of elementary school.
Then, on April 16, 2014, the baby that the young couple had conceived was born safely. The father of the young mother was only informed of the girl’s pregnancy just one month before the birth.
It seems like it was a big shock, but the girl’s father said, “We can’t turn back time, we can only go forward. We won’t take welfare from the government, I’ll support my daughter and the child”.
In fact, the mother of the girl who has become Britain’s youngest mother herself had her daughter while still in her teens, making her Britain’s youngest grandmother at the age of 27.
According to the UK government’s statistics on teen pregnancy, in 2012, the number of pregnant girls below the age of 18 was at its lowest since 1969, and it seems that as the years have passed the number of teen pregnancies has fallen. Moreover, in 2012, 60% of girls who became pregnant at the age of 16 or under chose to have abortions, and the number of abortions has also increased years on year.
The father was frank in expressing his views: “I can’t watch over my daughter 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and I think it’s actually better than her poisoning her body at the age of only 11 or 12 with pills, but I wish she’d fallen pregnant when she was a bit older”.
The couple plan to get married in the future, but in the mean time they say they plan to live with the responsibility of their mistake, as they receive support from those around them.
Incidentally, in 2012 there were 253 girls in Britain who fell pregnant and gave birth under the age of 14.
Comments from Ameba News:
[In order of most upvoted:]
ﾈﾑｺさん:
I feel really sorry for the father — he was only convincing himself by saying it was better than poisoning an 11 or 12 year old with pills.
ーびさん:
It’s a bit dubious as to whether she was having periods when she was 12. I’m glad the baby was born safely, and I want them to do their best to bring up the child. She might be 12, but to the baby she’s just its mother.
となりの高橋さんさん:
Huh? A grandmother at 27!? I guess that means that the girl’s mother had her at fifteen…Well, as long as the newborn child will be happy, then their age is irrelevant I suppose. Please try hard so that the child isn’t given to social services or as a foster child.
楓さん:
I’m surprised she gave birth safely even though her body isn’t fully developed yet.
パパァさん:
This isn’t something that should be praised though…
small｡Leafさん:
If this was discovered in Japan, it would go viral.
萌さん:
I think it’s magnificent to have chosen motherhood at 12. I hope she does her best (^O^)
新米パパＫさん:
If my daughter became a mother at 12….No, I don’t even want to imagine that. But still the most important thing is that the baby arrived safely.
カリーナさん:
Quite often you find that the age the parents gave birth is around the same age as the children do.
煉さん:
I think things are going to be tough for them from here on. I would imagine it’s difficult for a child to be told that they’ll give birth to a child. But I hope they live life to the full.
初雪・粉雪さん:
I want to shout out in support of the young couple because they’ve said they’ll take responsibility and raise their child. If this had been in Japan, they’d be frightened of being found out by their parents, and there’d be a big possibility that they’d just abandon the child or something!
アニメねこ―分オイ／艦これ依存さん:
So young, so randy.
popcornさん:
This girl giving birth at 12 is way too early, but I’m so glad that she gave birth safely in spite of all the risks!! Her mother also gave birth at 15, and with the whole world watching them I understand it must be really difficult, so isn’t it good that they’re saying they’re not going to give up the child and that they’ll support it? I hope they do their best as a family.
ビビさん:
When you read the Tale of Genji this isn’t such a shocking age to give birth. Onnasanomiya gave birth to Kaoru at 13. And in “Romeo and Juliette”, Juliette was 13 when she was married (they also talked about arranging a marriage for her). Because we’re in a developed country we’re making a fuss, but in developing countries even today I reckon this is commonplace.
