I was a foster mom. I raised two daughters. I have teenage granddaughters. I can’t imagine a young girl becoming pregnant as the result of sexual abuse or sex trafficking and a medical provider enabling the abuse to continue. But that appears to be going on in Indiana.
I’m the Vice President of Policy Enforcement for Indiana Right to Life. I keep a close eye on Indiana’s abortion industry. I use public records requests to make sure these abortion businesses are dotting every “I” and crossing every “T.” These abortion businesses are profiting off vulnerable women and killing their unborn children. It’s my mission to hold them accountable.
In the spring of 2017, the Indiana state legislature passed a law requiring that abortion doctors report abortions on girls under 16 to the State Department of Health and Department of Child Services (DCS) within three days of an underage abortion. This allows DCS to open an investigation to determine the girl’s well being. Was the abortion result of rape? Is the girl being sexually abused by an older man? Prior to July 1, 2017, Indiana law only explicitly required abortions on girls under 14 to be reported within three days.
READ: ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’: Planned Parenthood sends pre-teen victims back to sexual abusers
As part of my routine public information requests, I found abortion doctors at every Indiana abortion facility appeared to be failing to report underage abortions to DCS. Since July 1, 2017, the abortions of 48 girls weren’t reported to DCS according to the termination of pregnancy forms.
This means 48 girls are currently out there, potentially still in abusive situations.
In Indiana, it’s a crime for a person 18 or over to engage in any sexual activity with a child under age 16. If the child is under 14, it’s a crime of child molestation – no matter the perpetrator’s age. Of the 48 girls who had abortions, some were as young as 12 and 13.
In the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, we’re demanding answers and action. Today Indiana Right to Life, along with elected officials and our affiliates, held five press conferences throughout the state to draw attention to the reporting issues. We were also joined by concerned mothers in each city who filed consumer complaints with Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill and the Indiana State Department of Health.
Nine abortions doctors, at every single licensed abortion facility in Indiana, are involved. It’s not enough for these abortion businesses to get one day of bad press. We’re calling on the Indiana Medical Licensing Board, the Indiana State Department of Health and local prosecutors to take appropriate action against these abortion doctors. We want their medical licenses reviewed and for them to receive fines for each non-report. An immediate suspension of licenses for abortion facilities may be in order pending a complete investigation.
Further, the apparent failures of one abortion doctor are especially alarming. Dr. Jeffrey Glazer is an abortion doctor in Indianapolis. He’s also listed as the abortion doctor of a proposed abortion facility in South Bend, Ind. Glazer is on Whole Woman’s Health’s application as the abortion business’s “medical director.” The state already denied Whole Woman’s Health an abortion license. The denial letter stated: “Based upon the Department’s review, the Commissioner finds WWHA failed to meet the requirement that the Applicant is of reputable and responsible character and the supporting documentation provided inaccurate statements and information.”
Whole Woman’s Health is appealing their denial in the courts. I imagine they will exhaust every option as they attempt to get a license so that they can start ending the lives of the unborn in South Bend. But the supposed failure of their medical director to report underage abortions – and thus stop child sexual abuse – doesn’t help their cause.
I wish Indiana was an anomaly in the concealment of child sexual abuse. But Live Action’s recent investigations show us otherwise.
Covering up child sexual abuse cannot be tolerated. Negligence by the abortion industry further victimizes the children suffering at the hands of their perpetrators. My heart breaks today for the young girls out there who were victimized twice – once when they became pregnant and had an abortion and again when their abortion wasn’t reported by the abortion industry so they were sent back to abuse.
