Politics
Wednesday August 29, 2007
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Appeals Court Agrees to Conceal Planned Parenthood Records in Statutory Rape Case
Cincinnati Planned Parenthood Clinic charged with systematically covering up statutory rape
By Peter J. Smith
CINCINNATI, Ohio, August 29, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Cincinnati Planned Parenthood Clinic, charged with systematically covering up statutory rape, will not have to disclose the abortion records of other minors according to last Friday's ruling by an Ohio state appeals court.
The three judges on the 1st District Court of Appeals ruled unanimously to overturn a Hamilton County Court judge's decision to release the records to the lawyers for "John and June Roe", who contend that their daughter "Jane Roe", a victim of a child predator, became an additional victim to the unspoken policy of abortion providers to shield statutory rapists and violate the state's parental consent laws.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Roe was 14 when her adult 21-year-old "boyfriend" compelled her to abort her baby at Planned Parenthood's Auburn Avenue facility on March 30, 2004. The man paid for the abortion by credit card claiming he was Jane's stepbrother, even as the distraught girl gave out the name and address of her father to clinic employees.
"The potential invasion of privacy rights trumps the probative value of the records to this case," wrote Judge Mark P. Painter. He added that even if the patients' names were redacted, "it is arguable that disclosure would result in a privacy invasion."
Judges Penelope R. Cunningham and Lee H. Hildebrandt Jr. joined Painter in ruling: "The facts and evidence nowhere indicate that Planned Parenthood systematically and intentionally evaded its statutory duties."
The ruling was greeted with enthusiasm by Becki Brenner, president of the Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, which faces another lawsuit from a teenager, Denise Fairbanks, who claims that clinic employees did nothing to report the years of rape she endured as a child from her father after she was brought in for an abortion, and so perpetuated her nightmarish sexual abuse for 18 more months. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/may/07051605.html)
"Our clients have alleged that they were harmed because Planned Parenthood has a pattern and practice of violating its duties under Ohio law to report sexual abuse of minors and notify parents of minors of their daughters' intent to have an abortion, not as a result of a single, isolated incident," said Brian Hurley, an attorney for the family.
Hurley has vowed to appeal the ruling all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court. The family is seeking $25,000 for compensatory damages and $25,000 in punitive damages, plus attorney fees, costs, and any further relief that may be determined by the court.
The abortion industry's hidden policy of covering up child predators activity is well documented. In 2002, the Texas-based pro-life group, Life Dynamics surveyed 800 abortion facilities and revealed that in 91% of cases, the facility staff agreed to conceal cases of statutory rape.
See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:
Planned Parenthood Sued for Violating Abortion Parental Notification Laws
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/apr/05040504.html
Planned Parenthood Sued over Failure to Report Teen's Incest Pregnancy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/may/07051605.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- McCain Stresses Role as Maverick, War Vet, Makes Bipartisan Appeal in Acceptance Speech
- Foiled Again - Attempt to Paint Palin as Slashing Funds to Teen Moms Proven False
- EU Seeks Legal Means to Shut Up Eurosceptic Bloggers
- Comments on September 5, 2008 News
- Sarah Palin News Highlights 2
- Speaker Pelosi "in Opposition" to Church Teaching on Abortion: San Francisco Archbishop
- CRTC Nixes Christian Radio Proposals, Supports Porn TV
- BC Court Ruling Means only Pro-Abortion Information is Allowed Inside Bubble Zones
- One Month Till 16th Annual Catholic Week of Prayer and Fasting for Life - October 5-13, 2008
- "Anti-Catholic" Union Advocating Homosexual Agenda May Face Human Rights Commission
- Brazilian Health Minister Gives False Testimony in Eugenic Abortion Case
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Launches New Stem Cell Research and Anti-Abortion Ads
- N. Ireland Pro-life Group launches 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting to Stop Abortion Threat
- Ottawa Gears Up for 40 Days for Life Rally
Most Read this Week
- USCCB Delivers One Last Blow to "Catholic" Pelosi on Abortion Remarks
- Exclusive: Sources Reveal Internal Uproar over Vatican Conference Promoting Organ Donation
- Lawsuit: Young Pro-lifers Jailed, Shackled, Strip Searched for Peacefully Sharing Message
- British Government Chooses Hitler-Loving Abortion Movement Pioneer for Stamps
- Prominent Psychiatrist: "No Particular Need for Sex-Education"
- Foiled Again - Attempt to Paint Palin as Slashing Funds to Teen Moms Proven False
- Sarah Palin Delivers Gutsy Acceptance Speech
- Obama Launches Ad Campaign Attacking McCain for Pro-Life Policy
- Potential Vice-President of the United States of America - Who is Sarah Palin?
- Sarah Palin News Highlights 2
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.