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Teenage pregnancies are no more unusual in Italy than elsewhere.
Today, a judge ruled that Laura's pregnancy should not be ended by abortion. The decision was supposed to remain a secret shared only with Laura's parents and the girl's guardian, but the news quickly leaked out. But other Italians, especially those who support abortion rights, viewed the case far differently. A little silence would have been preferable, and might have better served the interests of a little girl who has serious problems and also of this unborn child. Laura is the daughter of a retired farm worker and his wife, and lived with them in the town of Pozzallo.