Planned Parenthood Abortion Center Charged for Hiding Sexual Abuse Fires Staff
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 2, 2010
Birmingham, AL (LifeNews.com) — The Planned Parenthood abortion center that was placed on probation by the Alabama health department for hiding a potential case of sexual abuse recently fired three of its staffers. The center received a one year probation from state officials in February.
As LifeNews.com reported, an undercover video showed a staffer at Planned Parenthood telling a woman who appears to be a victim of statutory rape that "we bend the rules."
The Birmingham Planned Parenthood counselor tells pro-life advocate Lila Rose, who pretends to be a 14-year-old statutory rape victim, that it "does sometimes bend the rules a little bit" rather than report sexual abuse to state authorities.
The video also showed a Planned Parenthood employee telling a woman posing as a teenager how she can evade the state’s parental consent law.
Now, the pro-life advocates involved in the 40 Days for Life outreach in Birmingham indicate the abortion center laid off two of its staffers.
"Just last week, vigil participants learned that Planned Parenthood had laid off two staffers who often served as client escorts — and the accountant who’d worked there for 17 years. The three employees were given only two days’ notice that their jobs were ending," David Bereit of 40 Days for Life writes.
Bereit received the information from a local pro-life advocate who told him, "The accountant said that she spoke to our volunteer because we had always been nice to her. She asked for our prayers and any help we could give her in obtaining new employment."
“This lesson has taught me that the employees of Planned Parenthood are not the enemy," the advocate said, saying pro-life people should pray for them that they will quit working with the mammoth abortion business.
“She seemed a little shaken and nervous losing her job with such short notice," another local pro-life advocate told Bereit about the former Planned Parenthood accountant, "but she also said she didn’t really want to work there either.”
David Schmidt of Live Action Advocates, the group that organized the undercover video, was pleased by the news.
"This clinic has serious operating problems. This is no surprise considering what our undercover investigators Lila Rose and Jackie Stollar captured there," he said.
After investigating the Planned Parenthood center following the video, Alabama health department officials found Planned Parenthood files showing girls aged 13-15 having abortions even though they are obviously victims of statutory rape.
They also found Planned Parenthood failed to comply with the parental consent law Alabama has in place. That requires parents to sign off on an abortion before a teenager is allowed to have one.
After the video expose, the Planned Parenthood abortion business released a statement saying its staff normally act in a professional manner and promising an internal probe.
"Planned Parenthood of Alabama provides high quality health care and takes any allegation of this nature very seriously," it claimed.
"An essential part of our mission is to protect teens, and to make sure that they get the counseling and medical care they need. We will conduct an internal, fact-based review to ensure that all our high standards of care have been met," it added.
"Planned Parenthood of Alabama is committed to following all laws, and regularly makes reports to law enforcement officials. The health and safety of our patients is our top priority and we know that parents trust their teens to get accurate information and quality care at Planned Parenthood health centers. We will continue to work exceptionally hard to maintain that trust," it claimed.
But the staffer in question broke that trust when it comes to obeying state law and helping teenage girls and their parents.
The counselor Rose spoke with tells her that a signature from an "older sister that’s over the age of 18" or someone "with the same last name" could function as a substitute for parental consent so Planned Parenthood could perform an abortion on a minor.
However, Alabama law specifies that the written permission of either a parent or legal guardian is necessary before a minor may obtain an abortion.
Randy Christian of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office heard the tape at the time and told CBS 42 he was shocked by it.
"Anyone who sees that should be disturbed by it, and I hope they’re disturbed by it," he said.
"For a 31 year old to have sex with a 14 year old, that is rape in the second degree. I think they are not only morally obligated to report it – the law requires them to report it, and there could be some serious consequences otherwise," he said.
Related web sites:
See the video at https://www.lifenews.com/state4265.html
Live Action Advocates – https://www.liveaction.org
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