Abortion Practitioner Who Locked Up Woman Still on the Run
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 25, 2003
Valdosta, GA (LifeNews.com) — Valdosta police are still searching for abortion practitioner Charles Rossmann more than two months after he disappeared following criminal abortion charges.
Rossman is being charged in this and two other cases where women were mistreated. He is accused of inducing labor on a woman 31-weeks pregnant and abandoning her in his locked office.
Commander Steve Heaton believes Rossman is currently in his native country, the Czech Republic. The police department is currently look at extradition proceedings with the eastern European country.
"We’ve done some research into the extradition agreement between the United States and the Czech Republic," Heaton told the Valdosta Daily Times. "We’ve asked the U.S. Attorney’s office to review the matter and we are waiting hear from them."
According to police reports, on May 9 paramedics and police were called to Rossmann’s office that night to find a 23-year-old local woman had given birth to a boy.
Rossmann, however, was not present when paramedics arrived.
Heaton said the responders had to force their way into the building to help the woman and that the baby was taken to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. He died 12 days later. The mother was treated at South Georgia Medical Center.
Heaton said the woman told investigators that she requested Rossmann perform an
abortion and that she paid him in cash.
The woman was 31-weeks pregnant at the time, Heaton said, and investigators
believe the woman may have requested the abortion because she feared the child
had Down syndrome.
After starting a procedure — presumably to induce labor — Rossmann allegedly
provided the woman with contact information and left her alone in his office,
Heaton said. The doors to the building were locked, though Heaton said the
woman could have left the building if she wanted and was able. There is no
indication that she was held against her will, he said.
The woman unsuccessfully attempted to contact Rossman, couldn’t reach him, and was forced to call 911.
Rossmann was subsequently charged with two more counts of criminal
abortion after two more alleged victims came forward. He is also charged with four counts of having prescription medications out of their original container. Rossmann’s office is also not licensed by the state for child births.
Two members of Rossman’s staff were charged as well. They were charged with reckless conduct and false imprisonment.
"This tragedy in Valdosta is not an isolated case," Caryl Swift, president of Georgia Right to Life, told LifeNews.com. "Other women have reportedly come forward with similar information."
"Regrettably most post-abortive women usually desire privacy and do not report botched abortions. Obviously, we need stronger regulation of doctors who commit
abortions and the facilities where babies are aborted," Swift explained.
More charges may be leveled after the autopsy on the son is completed. Heaton said those could include felony murder or manslaughter since a criminal abortion was involved.
The Georgia Medical Board suspended his license for allegedly attempting an illegal abortion.
Extradition may provide difficult because of differences in abortion laws. Authorities say they will work with federal officials to seek unlawful flight charges to avoid prosecution.
Once the police issued a warrant for his arrest, Rossman apparently abandoned his office. All signs were removed, a phone number disconnected, and his web site was taken down.
Related web sites:
Rossman’s old web page — https://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:fZTG1qlUTNYJ:www.rossmann.salu.net/welcome.html+Charles+Rossmann+Valdosta&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
