Second Planned Parenthood Abortion Ctr Staffer Suspended After Rape Coverup

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 16, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Second Planned Parenthood Abortion Ctr Staffer Suspended After Rape Coverup

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 16
, 2008

Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com) — Planned Parenthood of Indiana has suspended a second abortion center staff member after a second video in two weeks shows the official covering up a potential case of statutory rape. In total, three videos — two in Indiana and one in North Carolina — have been released in recent weeks showing similar results.

Lila Rose, a UCLA student, is behind the two Indiana videos and her first one showed her portraying a 13-year-old girl who had become pregnant from a 31-year-old man.

The Bloomington, Indiana Planned Parenthood staff member told Rose she "didn’t want to know any more" about the incident or the age difference between the two and, instead, urged Rose to seek an abortion in a neighboring state that didn’t require parental notification.

The second video, taken at an Indianapolis abortion business, showed the exact same response and Planned Parenthood of Indiana said today that one of the staff members involved has been suspended.

In a statement, Planned Parenthood said its priority was the responsible treatment of its customers and it said it will be conducting an international investigation to determine if the video is accurate and the staff members made the statement depicted in it.

After an internal probe involving the Bloomington facility, Planned Parenthood fired the official in question and said it would take steps to ensure better training of its employees to follow state law requiring the reporting of suspected statutory rape to authorities.

Rose talked with the Associated Press on Wednesday to further explain the videos, which were both shot on June 24 at each of the Planned Parenthood facilities. She said her group, Life Action Films, also videotaped Planned Parenthood abortion centers in other states but did not name which ones.

"Nothing was edited in a way that would alter the obvious context of the sexual abuse cover-up," she said. "Each time we release a single clinic in a state we want it to get the national attention and scrutiny each cover-up deserves."

In the new videotape, two Planned Parenthood employees say they "don’t care" about the age difference between a 31-year-old man and the 13-year-old girl he was reported to have impregnated.

"We don’t really care about who, what, the age of the boyfriend," the unnamed Planned Parenthood staff member says.

A second Planned Parenthood counselor adds, "I don’t care how old he is."

Like the staff member Diana at the first Indiana Planned Parenthood exposed on tape, the staff at the Indianapolis facility tell Rose that she can get an abortion in another state without her parents knowing: "The surrounding states don’t have parental consent. I can’t tell you anymore."

As was the case with the Planned Parenthood facility in Bloomington, the Indianapolis abortion center apparently did not report the sexual abuse to state authorities.

Rose told LifeNews.com Tuesday that the additional videotape is very concerning because it shows an emerging pattern of abuse, as more abortion center counselors evade their legal responsibility to report the statutory rape of young girls.

She says the lack of reporting and Planned Parenthood staffers looking the other way makes it so young girls remain trapped in cycles of sexual abuse.

Although the Bloomington abortion center fired its nurse and Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter has launched an investigation, Rose said this is not an isolated incident.

"We have more videos documenting this pattern of law-breaking within Planned Parenthood. There are actual cases all across the country where their failure to follow state statutes has allowed predators to continue their sexual abuse of young girls," she told LifeNews.com.

"We applaud Mr. Carter’s integrity and urge him to conduct a thorough and complete investigation, despite any political attacks Planned Parenthood may attempt against him personally or his office," she added.

Rose challenges Planned Parenthood to cooperate in any investigation.

"Planned Parenthood must release files they have previously sued to keep private and allow state authorities to conduct a complete investigation," she says. "Mandatory reporting laws are necessary for the protection of young girls, and Planned Parenthood must not be allowed to sabotage them."

The new footage is the second video in Live Action Film’s "Mona Lisa Project," a series of investigations documenting abuses at Planned Parenthood facilities when it comes to protecting young girls.

A prior video released two weeks ago from Students for Life of Ameirca showed a Charlotte, North Carolina Planned Parenthood covering up an incident of statutory rape.

Related web sites:
Latest video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTxsWZz9whg
LifeAction Films – https://LiveActionFilms.org

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