A five-year-old girl in Peru becomes a mother in 1939
Scientists are still scratching their heads at how a five-year-old girl was supposedly able to give birth. Lina Marcela Medina became the world's youngest mother, having allegedly given birth while she was a child herself. Lina's story came at the height of World War 2, when fighting reached a fever pitch in Europe. International newspapers carried her story across the world leaving readers stunned at her bizarre tale. In 1939, the Second World War was just about to get underway in Europe, but on the other side of the world, a bizarre story was about to unfold. In a Peruvian village high in the Andes mountain range, a five-year-old girl was showing signs of pregnancy. Shocked neighbours of the little girl began to suspect she was some version of a "Virgin Mary", seeing her as being the vessel for the child of "the Sun god". Having grown up in squalor, Lina's family did not come from riches and were in fact in extreme poverty, struggling to make ends meet, according to the Daily Mail. When Lina's story began, the family turned to the likes of shamans to help explain her abdomen problems as it slowly began to swell. Believing she had a demon inside of her, shamans tried a host of local remedies to expel the issue, but none worked. Ultimately, she was taken to a local hospital by her father, with doctors initially believing she could be suffering from a tumour; in fact, she was seven months pregnant. She gave birth to her child on May 14, 1939; despite being aged just 5 at the time. Lina's baby was carried to full term with no complications, weighing just under 2.7 kilograms when he was born via C-section. The boy was named Gerardo, in honour of the doctor who helped birth him. Gerardo was raised in the family household as if Lina was his sister, and was reportedly told the truth about where he came from when he was aged 10. Examinations at the time found that Lina had an abnormally early puberty and had already fully developed her sexual organs by the time she was impregnated. As a result, Lina became the world's youngest mother, backed up with medical records. However, her catapult into the limelight following her bizarre birth has left her shaken and unwilling to speak to any of the press about the situation. The question of who had raped and impregnated Lina, however, remains a mystery — even to this day. Her father was the initial suspect, and was held on suspicion of raping his daughter but was eventually released after no witnesses or evidence of sexual abuse came up in the investigation. Her uncles and brothers were then also implicated into the probe, including one brother who was known to have mental health problems. The family's gardener was also treated with suspicion when he mysteriously disappeared after the pregnancy became well-known; no one has been formally charged. Currently, it is unknown whether Lina is even still alive; though if she was, she would be aged 92. Gerardo himself passed away at the age of 40 back in 1979 after contracting a bone marrow disease. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
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Villagers mistook Lina as a divine vessel and sought traditional remedies
Backed by reports at the time, Lina's case quickly drew attention around the world. The neighbors whispered that she was some version of a "Virgin Mary", seeing her as the vessel for the child of "the Sun god". Having grown up in squalor, Lina's family lived in extreme poverty and struggled to make ends meet. When Lina's story began, the family turned to shamans to help explain her abdomen problems as it slowly began to swell. Believing she had a demon inside of her, shamans tried a host of local remedies to expel the issue, but none worked. Ultimately, she was taken to a local hospital by her father, with doctors initially believing she could be suffering from a tumour; in fact, she was seven months pregnant. She gave birth to her child on May 14, 1939; despite being aged just 5 at the time. Lina's baby was carried to full term with no complications, weighing just under 2.7 kilograms when he was born via C-section. The boy was named Gerardo, in honour of the doctor who helped birth him. Gerardo was raised in the family household as if Lina was his sister, and was reportedly told the truth about where he came from when he was aged 10. Examinations at the time found that Lina had an abnormally early puberty and had already fully developed her sexual organs by the time she was impregnated. As a result, Lina became the world's youngest mother, backed up with medical records. However, her catapult into the limelight following her bizarre birth has left her shaken and unwilling to speak to any of the press about the situation.
The mystery of the father: who impregnated Lina remains unsolved
The question of who had raped and impregnated Lina, however, remains a mystery — even to this day. Her father was the initial suspect, and was held on suspicion of raping his daughter but was eventually released after no witnesses or evidence of sexual abuse came up in the investigation. Her uncles and brothers were then also implicated into the probe, including one brother who was known to have mental health problems. The family's gardener was also treated with suspicion when he mysteriously disappeared after the pregnancy became well-known; no one has been formally charged. Currently, it is unknown whether Lina is even still alive; though if she was, she would be aged 92. Gerardo himself passed away at the age of 40 back in 1979 after contracting a bone marrow disease.
Today what remains unknown: Lina’s fate and Gerardo’s death
The story’s ending is not simply about the past. It remains unclear whether Lina is still alive today; if she is, she would be in her early 90s. Gerardo, however, died at the age of 40 in 1979 after contracting a bone marrow disease. The case has continued to fuel curiosity and medical debate for decades, a stark reminder that some questions outlive the people involved.
