Kansas Supreme Court Won’t Seal Abortion-Sexual Abuse Case Documents

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 15, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Kansas Supreme Court Won’t Seal Abortion-Sexual Abuse Case Documents Email this article
Printer friendly page

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 15, 2005

Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — The Kansas Supreme Court decided on Tuesday that it will not seal documents related to an investigation being conducted by Kansas officials looking into possible cases of statutory rape and abortions on girls who were victims.

Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has been pursuing records of underage girls who had abortions at two Kansas abortion businesses. The abortion facilities have filed lawsuits preventing him from obtaining the necessary information to further the investigation.

A Shawnee County district judge previously issued a gag order in October preventing the information from being made public and the Kansas Supreme Court overturned that decision last week.

Kline had hoped to have the state’s high court reverse its decision. He worries that abortion businesses are informing those girls who had abortions and that the information could tip off criminals who were responsible for the statutory rapes.

Kline said he believes the abortion businesses are more concerned about protecting themselves from criminal liability than worrying about patient privacy.

"The issue in this case is whether abortion clinics are above the law," Kline told reporters last week.

"We’re talking about the target of an investigation saying I have a right to review the evidence and decide whether to give it to you. That’s not how the law operates. If it did, nobody would ever be prosecuted," he said.

Kline also said his investigation is targeting possible illegal late-term abortions.

When performing an abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy, abortion facilities are required to first determine if the unborn child is viable and, secondly, only perform the abortion if the mother’s health would be in danger otherwise.

Related web sites:
Kansans for Life – https://www.kfl.org