Contact: media@liveaction.org, (323) 454-3304
LOUISVILLE, April 21–Student-led pro-life group Live Action has released footage today of Kentucky’s only abortion provider, EMW Women’s Surgical Center, ignoring the sexual abuse of a child and giving misleading abortion counseling. The footage was taken by Live Action President Lila Rose and actor Jackie Stollar who posed undercover as minors with Rose telling the staff that she was 14-years-old and impregnated by her 31-year-old “boyfriend.”
In the video, the EMW counselor named “Wendy” determines that Rose is “14 to 15-weeks pregnant,” and Rose expresses that she wants to keep the situation secret from her parents. Though Rose gave no indication that she would face abusive parents, the clinic directs Rose to call Louisville attorney Mickey Adams so that she can obtain a judicial bypass around Kentucky’s parental consent law and avoid parental knowledge of the abortion or sexually abusive relationship.
In the state of Kentucky, sex between a 14-year-old and a 31-year-old is rape in the third degree and would reasonably be considered sexual abuse of a child which must be reported to law enforcement immediately. The clinic failed to ask the questions necessary to file a child sexual abuse report and did not communicate to Rose about the illegal or dangerous nature of her sexual relationship.
Rose, a UCLA student, says this sort of disregard for the law is typical at abortion centers. “In abortion clinics across the country, our undercover videos document the widespread cover-up of sexual abuse. Abortion clinics like EMW in Louisville attempt to fast-track underage abortions on vulnerable girls, shut out parents, and blatantly ignore their legal obligation to report the sex predator to police.” says Rose.
Live Action has previously released videos of statutory rape cover-up at Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in Bloomington, IN, Indianapolis, IN, Memphis, TN, Birmingham, AL, Los Angeles, CA, Tucson, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, and Milwaukee, WI. Prompted by a Live Action video, the Alabama Health Department placed the Birmingham clinic on probation after conducting its own investigation which found 9 legal violations. Rose urges officials in Kentucky to follow suit: “State authorities need to investigate this Louisville abortion clinic and hold them accountable to the law,” Rose insists. “Until they do, young girls will be put at risk of continued sexual abuse.”
Watch highlights of the undercover video, as well as the unedited tape at: http://liveaction.org/mona-lisa/louisville-ky