Church in India marks ‘girl-child day’ to counter female infanticide

September 09, 2010

In the western Indian state of Gujarat-- where the ratio is 883 girls for every 1,000 boys-- a man was arrested after throwing his newborn daughter into a gutter on September 2. Narottam Devipujak “had vowed to offer a male goat to his family deity if a son were born to him,” according to UCA News. “However, he would ‘sacrifice’ the child if it were a girl.”

The incident led Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit, to urge religious leaders to foster “the necessary attitude and courage to save and celebrate the girl child.”

 

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Further information:

• Priest urges religious leaders to ‘save’ girls (UCAN)