Posted on 09/18/2002 6:32:28 AM PDT by victim soul
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has a critical decision to make: Are abortion clinics in California exempt from reporting incidents of suspected child sexual abuse and statutory rape? His answer could set a precedent for abortion activities in other states. Your help is needed to convince the attorney general that, indeed, abortion clinics should abide by the state's reporting laws.
Under current California law — specifically, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act — all medical facilities and personnel are required to report incidents of suspected child sexual abuse and statutory rape. But the California Medical Board wasn't sure if a Planned Parenthood (PP) physician' s right to patient confidentiality trumps the state reporting mandate — so it requested the attorney general to issue an opinion, which has the force of law.
The request stems from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, according to his health policy expert Ressie Roman. Antonovich wrote a letter in August relaying information about allegations that medical doctors at Planned Parenthood clinics were performing abortions on underage girls — girls who are frequently impregnated by adult men — without ever inquiring whether the girls had been abused or were victims of statutory rape.
Antonovich got involved after he was contacted this summer by a group in Monrovia, Calif., attempting to stop a PP clinic in neighboring Pasadena from expanding into Monrovia. John O'Neill, of Monrovians Against Planned Parenthood, said his research had uncovered evidence that Planned Parenthood clinics weren't notifying anybody about their young clients. "I told the Board of Supervisors that I suspected that Planned Parenthood does not always report possible child abuse," O'Neill said.
O'Neill is far from alone in making the allegation. Rich Ackerman, a litigation specialist with the U.S. Justice Foundation in Escondido, Calif., personally examined Planned Parenthood records filed with the California Department of Health Planning and Development. A medical malpractice lawyer before joining U.S. Justice Foundation, Ackerman has also filed a complaint with the Medical Board.
"We were able to surmise from that research that there was no way that (Planned Parenthood clinics) could be reporting the abuse of minors, as required by law," Ackerman said. "If a 12-year-old shows up pregnant at a Planned Parenthood facility ... there is good reason to believe that a crime has been committed. Once you suspect that illegal sexual activity has taken place with that minor there is a duty to report it to child protective services, and if you don't it's a crime." Ackerman said further confirmation of the practice came when a former Planned Parenthood employee, Megan Allen, asked the U.S. Justice Foundation to sue Planned Parenthood clinics in California — accusing them of using unlicensed workers to assist in abortions and of not following required safety procedures.
"Megan also confirmed that Planned Parenthood has a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy — that they have no desire to find out if the child has been raped, and that they don't even want to know — which is completely consistent with what Life Dynamics had indicated in its investigation," Ackerman said.
A Widespread Problem
Perhaps the most convincing evidence, however, that Planned Parenthood's reporting policies require investigation, comes from a national report issued recently by Life Dynamics, Inc. The Denton, Texas, pro-life organization contacted every Planned Parenthood and National Abortion Federation facility in the United States, according to Life Dynamics President Mark Crutcher. He said all 50 states have laws mandating that health care workers report certain incidents — including possible sexual abuse of minors. The states, in turn, can investigate whether the child is the victim of sexual abuse or statutory rape.
"Of the 813 calls we made (to their facilities), 91 percent agreed to help our caller — who portrayed herself as a 13-year-old girl pregnant by a 22-year-old — conceal this information from her parents and the authorities," Crutcher said. "That's in violation of law."
Planned Parenthood of California (PPCA) did not return phone calls requesting an interview. But PPCA did issue a memorandum to California affiliates on June 26 stating that PP staff "must report all known or suspected abuse of a child under 18" and incidents of suspected statutory rape. However, PP also contends that it is "not legally obligated" to ask the sexual partner's age.
Karen Holgate, legislative and policy director for the Sacramento-based Capitol Resource Institute, said Lockyer's decision shouldn't be a difficult one to make. "Basically, if you have a child that you know is having sex with an adult, you should report it to authorities — it is against the law for an adult to have sex with a minor," Holgate said. "What's so hard to understand? Peter Brandt, director of issues response at Focus on the Family, said this issue has implications far beyond California.
"If Planned Parenthood can get away with this in California, that will set a precedent that will sweep through the whole country," Brandt said. "That's why parents throughout the whole country have to be very, very concerned about this."
TAKE ACTION
Time is short. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer could issue a decision within the next few days, and parents in EVERY state should contact him and urge him to deny the California Medical Board's request regarding abortion clinics. Ask him to mandate that all abortion clinics in California abide by laws requiring reporting of suspected child sexual abuse and statutory rape. Tell him that if he exempts abortion clinics from abiding by these reporting requirements, his action will be used to provide protection and cover to adult males who have impregnated young girls, with or without their consent. Contact him at:
Attorney General Bill Lockyer California Department of Justice Public Inquiry Unit P.O. Box 944255 Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
Phone: 916-322-3360, or 800-952-5225 (inside California)
You can also submit a comment on the attorney general's Web site. http://caag.state.ca.us/contact/general.htm
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE, A DOCTOR IS A DOCTOR, THE LAW IS THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ugh, Planned Parenthood and their tax exempt status and their law exempt status - what a joy to read in the morning.
That big quake in Kalifornia feels closer everyday.
You f'ing have to be kidding me. I mean, really.
We are dooming children to lives of emotional conflict and psychological trouble because abortionists to not want to be held accountable. Money is more important than protecting the lives of children. But should we expect any different when they have such low disregard for human life? It starts at hate or indifference of the unborn, why should it end with the born?
Exactly what should they pay then according to their deeds?
Look at the images at the bottom of the page. Then you can reply to my question.
RnMom,
Are you aware of a pro-life ping list?
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