NEWS FLASH: Abortion clinics ignore rape. What may seem like a cruel irony is a bleak reality, and the actions taken by the abortion clinics in response to these charges are even more preposterous. Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation have been accused of the practice of disregarding state law which requires them to report acts of rape to authorities -- and there are tape recordings to back it up. What's worse, when asked by the courts by means of a subpoena to hand over patient records in order to investigate and hopefully prosecute rapists, Planned Parenthood sued on the grounds of the patient's right to privacy.
Upon first blush, this news story seems like some kind of bizarre prank or early April Fool's joke. But unfortunately, Planned Parenthood has refused to comply with law enforcement in Kansas and Indiana in this matter.
Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline received reports that in 2003, 78 girls under the age of 15 had abortions in the state, and a district judge issued a subpoena to obtain the records.
This shouldn't be taken lightly -- Kansas state law stipulates that sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 14 is unambiguously considered rape, not just statutory rape.
Releasing the medical records in order to find and prosecute the rapists serves to deliver justice for a heinous crime, protect the rest of society from a child predator and perhaps provide closure to the rape victim. Withholding these records under the guise of privacy rights would inhibit all of these beneficial proceedings.
Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter is facing similar resistance from Planned Parenthood. He wants to prosecute sex offenders in his state, and his Medical Fraud Unit has asked to see the records of 12- and 13-year old abuse victims.
The legalities of the case have been misconstrued by pro-choice groups and abortion clinics in order to cover up for the real scandal -- the tacit toleration of rape.
The evidence of this practice is overwhelming. Life Dynamics, a pro-life group, legally amassed 813 tapes over a two-year period of conversations between callers posing as 13-year-old girls and hotline respondents from Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation. The callers claimed to have just become impregnated by 22-year-old men. According to Life Dynamics, 91 percent of the clinics indicated they would not report the rape.
While the recordings by Life Dynamics are not actual cases of rape, and they are not the tape recordings of the young girls whose medical records are sought by Kline or Carter, the sheer volume of calls handled in a disturbing and possibly illegal way definitely necessitates investigation of actual cases.
Planned Parenthood is upset over the order to turn over medical records, but if they had just reported suspicion of sexual abuse to law enforcement in the first place, it wouldn't be necessary.
Here's one portion of a conversation from the Boulder Valley Womens Center in Colorado:
"I don't want to know your name or anything about you if you don't want me calling the police... So what you need to do is call completely anonymously and talk to someone on our appointment line. And don't let us know anything about who your partner is, OK?"
Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics appeared on The O'Reilly Factor last week and explained, "In states that have parental notification requirements, let's say using Missouri as an example, the common response was, well, why don't you go to Illinois."
Some would provide phone numbers of these alternative clinics, instruct the girl to have her boyfriend (i.e., most likely rapist, depending on state law in the particular state) drive her to another state so her parents wouldn't find out. Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri President and CEO Peter Brownlie said in a press release commenting on Kline's actions, "We share the goal of protecting children and young women from abuse and of ensuring compliance with Kansas abortion law... [Planned Parenthood] regularly cooperate[s] with law enforcement to provide compassionate care to sexual assault survivors and report suspected abuse."
Since clinic workers in every state excluding Mississippi were recorded by Life Dynamics, this is hard to believe.
The implications of these tapes are dumbfounding. Why would groups that advocate the advancement and safety of women want to cover up rape 91 percent of the time? What could they possibly gain?
Girls who call in to these reputable organizations desperately seeking help after a rape are being told to call back and conveniently forget to report the circumstances of their case.
Their experience is being swept under the rug by the very institutions that promise to "offer our assistance and resources because we believe all women should be treated with dignity and given the respect their individual situations deserve" (NAF Hotline mission).
According to the Patients Rights policy on Planned Parenthood's Web site, a patient has the right "to expect that information from their records will not be released without their prior written consent, except in medical emergencies and as otherwise validly provided by law."
I guess this just depends on which laws these supposedly "pro-women" groups decide to follow.
Whitney Blake is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at wblake@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 3 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 4 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
