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Stepdad arrested after doctor discovers 10-year-old stepdaughter with stomach pains is six months pregnant
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A ten-year-old girl in Argentina who visited a local hospital for severe stomach pain was discovered to be six months pregnant, triggering a police investigation that resulted in the arrest of her stepfather.
Per El Doce, the child had been brought to a medical facility in the small town of Colonia Dora by her 25-year-old mother. While seeking care, the mother explained to an on-call obstetrician that the child had not experienced a menstrual cycle.
A medical examination quickly revealed that the young patient was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. When questioned by authorities during the subsequent inquiry, the girl stated that she had been sexually abused by her stepfather, 33-year-old Julio Vivas.
Law enforcement officers took Vivas into custody at the residence he shared with the mother and child. Police also confiscated his cell phone as evidence. Vivas remains in custody while investigators examine the details of the case, and local reports note that formal charges have not yet been officially announced.
The family's response
The arrest prompted emotional responses from family members and educators who interacted with the child. The victim's grandmother, Norma Gomez, stated that she had repeatedly cautioned her daughter about living with the suspect after the couple first connected on the internet.
“She met him through the phone, but I always told her not to trust him too much,” Norma Gomez said.
Gomez shared her own painful past while expressing outrage over the situation, explaining that she had previously warned her family about protecting children from predators.
“I went through the same thing the little girl went through when I was eight years old. I know what it’s like to suffer. I always told my husband: if they touch one of my children, I’m capable of killing them with my own hands.”
The child's school teacher also expressed shock, observing that the young student had maintained regular classroom routines and showed no visible indicators of trauma.
“She’s a quiet girl, she does her homework… I’ve never noticed any strange behaviour from her, nor has she ever been upset,” she said.
Patterns of abuse across the region
The situation in Colonia Dora follows similar incidents reported across South America. Just months earlier in Brazil, a traumatized ten-year-old girl gave birth to an infant fathered by her 23-year-old stepfather.
In that case, medical personnel contacted authorities due to the patient's youth, leading to the man's arrest for repeatedly raping his eight-year-old and ten-year-old stepdaughters. The children's mother was also arrested after being accused of trying to shield her partner from prosecution.
Data highlights that sexual violence against children remains a severe problem across Latin America. A report requested by the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights pointed out that young children face the greatest threat inside their own residences, while teenagers experience risks both at home and in public settings.
UNICEF figures indicate that two out of three children between the ages of one and 14 throughout Latin America and the Caribbean endure violent discipline at home.
In Argentina specifically, official figures demonstrate a sharp rise in reported offenses. A government report released in 2023 showed that more than 40 percent of sexual violence victims are children or teenagers.
Nationwide figures documented an increase from 13,003 cases in 2016 to 41,697 cases in 2021.