Two uncles convicted of raping 10-year-old niece who was refused an abortion in India

Two uncles have been convicted of raping their 10-year-old niece just months after she was denied an abortion and then gave birth.

A court in India found the uncles, who were brothers, guilty of rape on Tuesday, with sentencing set for later this week, according to The Hindustan Times.

The girl, from Chardigarh, Punjab, did not realise she pregnant. Her parents only found out when she complained of a stomach ache.

The Indian Supreme Court denied her the right to an abortion in July when she was 30 weeks pregnant.

Indian law does not allow terminations after 20 weeks unless the mother's life is in danger.

The girl, whose identity has been kept secret, initially told police and child welfare activists she had been raped several times over recent months by the first uncle. who is in his 40s.

When DNA tests could not match the first uncle to the baby, police arrested the second uncle, aged 38.

Sexual violence against children remains a taboo topic in India with most cases going unreported.