Venezuela Shocks Shoppers With Pregnant Schoolgirl Mannequins

Parents shopping for the uniforms that Venezuelan children wear until age 15 were startled to find the clothing advertised on adolescent, pregnant mannequins at a shopping mall in Caracas.

The displays were intended to draw attention to the high teen pregnancy rate in Venezuela, where 23 percent of all babies are born to mothers under the age of 18.

The scandal came only days after the United Nations expressed concern over the country’s high teen pregnancy and maternal mortality rates.

The mannequins will stay in the windows for a month, and may appear in other retail locations around the country.

[Reuters]