Kansas Attorney General Discusses Abortion-Sexual Abuse Investigation 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 25, 2005
Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — On Thursday afternoon, Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline discussed his investigation into 90 late-term abortion cases and his concern that some of the abortions were attempts to hide incidents of sexual abuse or statutory rape of minors.
"I have the duty to investigate and prosecute child rape and other crimes in order to protect Kansas children," Kline said in a press conference. "[R]ape is a serious crime and when a 10, 11 or 12 year old is pregnant — they have been raped under Kansas law."
Kline is concerned that two laws are being violated: prohibiting a minor under the age of 16 from having sex and prohibiting abortions after 22 weeks into pregnancy unless necessary for legitimate health reasons.
He is hoping to obtain medical records of 90 women who had late-term abortions to uncover possible crimes. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported that 78 Kansas children aged 14 years and younger received abortions in Kansas in 2003.
However, the two abortion businesses Kline wants records from are concerned about patient privacy if they are required to relinquish the information.
Two abortion facilities filed papers with the Kansas Supreme Court to head off the investigation, which began secretly in October.
"The issue before the Supreme Court is whether a district court judge can issue a subpoena when the judge has probable cause to believe that crimes have occurred," Kline explained.
Abortion advocates are upset at the investigation.
"These wildly intrusive subpoenas are just one more example of how out of control anti-choice politicians have become" NARAL president Nancy Keenan said in a statement. Keenan called Kline’s investigation a "witch hunt."
"Americans will and should be appalled at the notion of a state official issuing a mass subpoena for the most private personal information there is," Keenan added.
But, Kline said protecting Kansas children is more important than the privacy concerns of the abortion facilities.
"The child’s privacy is always protected — you never see the name of the child victim in the paper and no one has the right to rape or victimize a child or women whether in private or public," Kline said.
"There are two things child predators want: access to children and secrecy and as Attorney General I am bound and determined to not give them either," Kline added.
The Kline investigation follows on the heels of a state health agency investigation into the January late-term abortion death of a Texas woman at a Wichita abortion business.
Related web sites/stories:
Kansas Attorney General Investigates Abortions on Sexually Abused Teens – https://www.lifenews.com/state917.html
Kansans for Life – https://www.kfl.org
