Father of 12-year-old girl's baby confirmed to be aged 14
The father of a baby born to a 12-year-old girl in Perth is aged 14, police have confirmed.
It was revealed last week that the young girl had given birth at home before presenting to the Peel Health Campus, telling staff she did not know she was pregnant.
She was then transferred to King Edward Memorial Hospital with her healthy baby by ambulance.
A spokeswoman for The Department of Communities said police were working closely with the families.
“There are complex social issues, which are being managed by all agencies, and the current priority is to ensure appropriate support is provided to the family,” she said.
Parents could face charges
WA Police said they were still looking into whether charges would be laid against either of the parents.
They could be charged for engaging in sexual activity because they are under the age of consent, which is 16.
Western Australia’s Health Department statistics show there have been a dozen registered births to 12-year-old girls since 1980.
The department says the teenage birth rate has dropped from 1.2 per cent in 1980 to 0.3 per cent in 2017.
