11-Year-Old Girl From Colombia's Wayuu Tribe Gives Birth, Government At Odds With Tribal Mores (VIDEO)

UPDATE: 4/10/12 5:00 p.m. --

Additional reports have come in indicating the young girl was 10 years old.

Previously:

An 11 year-old Colombian girl gave birth last week to a daughter. The baby was born via C-section and is reportedly in healthy condition. During her pregnancy, the young girl never consulted with a doctor according to the video report by Univision's Primer Impacto.

The 11 year-old mother belongs to the Wayuu tribe, an indigenous group from the La Guajira Peninsula in the northern region of Colombia and Venezuela. She's originally from the city of Manaure.

“We've already seen similar cases of wayuu girls," said Efraín Pacheco Casadiego the director of the hospital where the girl gave birth, to RCN La Radio noticias, a Colombian radio station. "At a time when (the girls) should be playing with dolls, they go to having to take care of a baby. It's shocking."

The Colombian constitution guarantees the Wayuu land and autonomy, and allows for the indigenous tribe to maintain their own sovereignty.

"Since it's a Wayuu girl we are trying to respect all of their rights since they have autonomy and their own jurisdiction," said Alejandro Samplayo, director of "Instituto Colombiano Bienestar Familiar" a family welfare program with emphasis on attention of infants.

Little information has been reported about the baby’s father who has remained anonymous. And, according to Primer Impacto, nobody in the indigenous community is willing to speak about the circumstances of the birth.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that the "Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar" is an organization similar to the U.S.'s Planned Parenthood. But the "Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar" is a family welfare program with emphasis on attention of infants.

ADDRESSING TEEN PREGNANCY AROUND THE WORLD:

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Comments

[sunnyhoney95]

01:58 PM on 07/15/2012

It doesn't matter where this happens, an 11 year old female is not physically ready to carry and give birth to child much less take care of it. Men who commit these crime against these little girls are worse than animals. This shows how fortunate we are to live in a country(USA) where we are ruled by laws. Yes abuses occur here but at least we have laws against rape & incest.

[Kohaku]

10:50 AM on 06/25/2012

This video makes me so angry. The fact that they don't show her face is beside the point. This was completely inappropriate.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/11-year-old-colombian-pregnancy_n_1400812.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009#

[Kohaku]

10:49 AM on 06/25/2012

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to film an 11 year old CHILD going into a c-section procedure, and actually on the damn operating table?

[sis14slf]

07:48 PM on 08/11/2012

The story was updated. She was 10yrs old not 11. she must have conceived at 9yrs old. I agree with you. what a shame to put her out there like that.

[LadyChef]

04:35 PM on 06/04/2012

Oh my word...For people who are claiming we need to step in and save the girls from this tribe !! We cannot even stop some of the more extreme Mormon sects in our own country from marrying and impregnating underage girls. Why do we keep trying to save the world when our own house needs cleaning.

[madblond]

11:02 PM on 05/29/2012

They say incest is the best. What do you want to bet that her daddy is her baby daddy.

[Geelee]

10:55 PM on 05/29/2012

Made a pro lifer happy tonight, no doubt.

[myviews]

02:00 PM on 05/20/2012

Less than 100 years ago blacks hung on trees in the Deep South of America while white families had picnics. I do not think our country, which is still evolving, has a place to tsk tsk another culture.

American women older than 60 are injecting themselves with strong drugs to trick their bodies into thinking they are young enough to house the egg/sperm combo of a much younger couple - embryos they "bought" and a baby they will have to legally adopt after birth. I don't think our country, which is still evolving, has a place to tsk tsk another culture.

Ever!

[sargentpepper]

01:29 PM on 05/05/2012

happy mother's day!

[Elizabeth Monroe]

12:45 PM on 05/04/2012

Women, and I say women because this tribe refers to this age group as women, are promised to wed and have children between ages 10-12. This is because they are considered child bearing age, and the families would rather have them wed and have children than to risk having children out of wedlock, as this is very shameful in the tribe. WHile many of us consider these ages far to young to have a child (I agree as well), it is their culture, and it is a male-oriented culture. Women are taught at very young ages to cook, clean, sew, etc. It is a male society, and having a child at this age would be considered normal for this girl. While I do not think its right, I dont live there, and neither do the rest of you. The world is full of different cultures and who are we to tell them what they do is wrong? This is the world they know. To them, its natural.

[myviews]

02:02 PM on 05/20/2012

Yes, and we too live in a male-oriented culture, which is why we are one of the few developed nations to never have had a female VP or President. They can't save us. We can't save them. Each woman must rise up and save herself and teach her daughter to do the same and her son to respect women.

[Redv14]

07:08 PM on 05/03/2012

This is child abuse plain and simple. I don't care what their tribal mores are.The government should intervene in matters that involve the health and welfare of children. Adults can fend for themselves but children should be protected.

[Wake Up Call]

04:23 PM on 06/05/2012

And how do you propose to do that exactly? Beat the tribal members until they confess who the father is, and then put him in jail? What should be done? Do tell.

[violettefemme]

12:27 PM on 05/02/2012

You know what would be helpful in this story, HP? Some idea of what a more typical age of childbirth would be for this tribe.

Do other 11 year olds have babies? How about 13 year olds? How far from the norm for HER world was this young girl?

Another useless bad of words from HP.

[earthinretrograde]

02:17 PM on 05/02/2012

She was actually 10 years of age. In childhood there is a world of difference between each developmental year. This is just too young. Think about it, no matter how far from the norm, it is too young. Like child soldiers, if it is cultural it should not be sanctioned.

[earthinretrograde]

05:59 AM on 05/02/2012

I had a C-Section. It was scary and painful. Recuperation was difficult. I also had HELLP syndrome. I can't imagine the risks an 11 year old has carrying a baby before her body has had time to develop and mature. I know many on this board say, that's the culture, or we have that in the U.S., but that doesn't negate the health and emotional risks of being pregnant and birth and delivery at 11 years old. Not to mention the dangers to the baby.

[lisac3333]

04:57 PM on 07/16/2012

I can't imagine a 10 year old child having sex. That must have also been painful! Makes me sick to think that as humans, we have still not evolved.

[Honey Hirsch]

10:14 AM on 04/28/2012

When I was pregnant with my first child I went for a check-up at a hospital in Nashville Tennessee. There was a young girl there in full on labor just walking around. She was very friendly and talkative. She was 11 years old and was there with the father who was 15. They were both very happy and naive. They were going to live with her mom. None of their parents were there. I think this happens in the USA you just do not hear about it.

[latoussaint]

10:04 PM on 05/02/2012

Typical Tennessee!

[LiberalDemIda]

02:46 AM on 05/03/2012

Not only Tennessee. I've met two girls here in Southern California; one was 13 when she had her baby, the other was 12.

The girl who was 12 was in a strong and stable relationship - the father was 24 at the time, had a good job with Pepsi Cola, and he married her. Today, they have five children. She is very happy and her children are all doing well in health and school. Very smart kids! She is Mexican American.

The 13 year old was promiscuous, but she looked 18! She was caucasian with no father around. I've lost contact with her.

[Geelee]

11:01 PM on 05/29/2012

I had a student age 11 who was moved up to Junior High school, just to get her out of elementary school, who gave birth to her mother's boyfriend's child because her mom refused to let their abortion and she wanted the little boy of the father who had been put in jail as a result of raping her10 yer old (age when impregnated) daughter. The girl now has a significant psychiatric history all brough on by the PTSD of the entire event.

[aviana]

04:26 AM on 04/19/2012

i'm an anthro student so i understand where ppl are coming from when they speak about this child's culture and what is 'normal' for her. However, a 10 year old body is not capable of birthing a child without intervention and repurcussions, that is integral to this issue. also hasn't the onset of puberty hastened in all cultures due to various changes in habits?

whatever your stance, a 10 year old female girl cannot give birth to a child successfully and without harm. therefore it may be cultural? but its not natural and in such a way that has not a minor impact but major and life long ones if she doesn't recieve proper care (fistulas, etc.) This is not a process that should be assisted but prevented.

[Philclock]

12:56 AM on 04/18/2012

I didn't know Roman Polansky was a member of the Wayuu tribe.

[lisac3333]

05:00 PM on 07/16/2012

It was probably Woody Allen!