Doctor: Abortion Practitioner’s Exam Methods Violated Women
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 30, 2003
Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) — The trial against abortion practitioner Brian Finkel, who is charged with more than 60 counts of sexually abusing 35 women, continues despite the near media blackout of it. On Monday, a doctor testified that Finkel’s fondling of women’s breasts was improper.
Dr. Sidney Weschler of South Dakota said tugging on women’s breasts during an examination was offensive and akin to "milking a cow" he said. "It’s never done."
Finkel is accused of fondling women’s breasts and inappropriately touching their private parts during examinations and abortions as far back as 1986. He denies the charges and says the touching was a part of established procedure.
Weschler is a witness for the prosecution who has taught abortion procedures at the University of Southern California. He says the standard procedure for examining women with breast problems is to examine the area of the breast surrounding the nipple.
"Tugging the nipple annoys patients," he said.
Finkel also is accused of performing unnecessary rectal examinations on two patients, according to the Arizona Republic newspaper.
During cross-examination, Weschler admitted that rectal exams are taught to medical students, but he said they are rarely used and performed almost exclusively on women above the age of 40 to check for diseases such as colon cancer.
Neither they nor touching certain parts of the vagina have any place in reproductive exams such as the kind Finkel performed for women considering abortion or other reproductive visits, he said.
"As the trial continues, a much darker side of the abortion industry is being revealed through the deed of Brian Finkel," Shane Wikfors, director of Arizona Right to Life, told LifeNews.com.
"Finkel’s pattern of abusive behavior once again demonstrates the callous disregard for women and human life that has shrouded the abortion industry in darkness," Wikfors added.
Wikfors also expressed dismay that the media, both in Phoenix and nationwide, are essentially ignoring the trial.
"Unlike the John Biskind trial, local media continues to fall short in coverage of this milestone abortion trial," Wikfors said.
The Arizona Supreme Court, earlier this month, denied hearing an appeal by Biskind, a Phoenix abortion practitioner who was jailed after leaving a woman to die following a botched abortion.
The trial is in its eighth week and is expected to continue three more weeks.
