ISLAMABAD — An official medical review of a Pakistani Christian girl accused of desecrating the Qur'an has determined that the girl is a minor, a lawyer for the girl said Tuesday. The finding, which means the girl will be tried in the juvenile court system, could possibly defuse what has been a highly contentious case in Pakistan, where blasphemy can be punished with life in prison or even death. The accusations against the girl have inflamed religious tensions in Pakistan, and sparked a mass exodus of Christians from the girl's neighborhood fearful of retribution from their Muslim neighbors. The attorney, Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, said a report by a medical board investigating the age and mental state of the girl determined she was 14 years old. He also said the board determined her mental state did not correspond to her age. It was not clear whether that meant she was mentally impaired. Some Pakistani media reports have said the girl has Down syndrome. Chaudhry said he would move to dismiss the case after the hearing, saying there was “no solid evidence" against his client. He said he saw his client Saturday in the Rawalpindi prison where she's being held and that she was “weeping and crying." — AP
