The 12-year-old mother and 14-year-old father of a newborn baby in Perth have been revealed to be step-siblings.
The girl, who was impregnated at age 11, gave birth at home to a healthy baby, fathered by her step-brother.
It is a shocking twist in a case that could see the young parents criminally charged, with a police investigation ongoing.
In Western Australia, the law indicates that anyone under 16 cannot legally consent, but police have the discretion not to prosecute.
It remains unknown if the girl and boy lived together full-time.
The case has been described by government officials as ‘sad and complex’, the Western Australian reports.
It is has been reported family members of the young parents were ‘devastated’ to learn of the birth.
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