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10-year-old girl should have carried pregnancy to term, says lawyer who drafted model anti-abortion law
James Bopp is general Counsel for the National Right to Life. (File photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The Indiana lawyer who drafted a model law to ban abortion tells Politico that the pregnant 10-year-old girl who came to his state for an abortion should not have terminated her pregnancy.
James Bopp said the abortion wouldn’t have been allowed under his model law, which contains an exception allowing abortions only to prevent death of a pregnant person.
“Unless her life was at danger, there is no exception for rape,” Bopp told Politico. “The bill does propose exceptions for rape and incest, in my model, because that is a pro-life position, but it’s not our ideal position. We don’t think, as heartwrenching as those circumstances are, we don’t think we should devalue the life of the baby because of the sins of the father.”
Bopp is general counsel for the National Right to Life.
The Indianapolis Star had reported on the girl on July 1. An Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist told the newspaper she had received a call about the girl from a child abuse doctor in Ohio. The young patient was a little more than six weeks pregnant, which made her unable to get an abortion in her home state. The girl ended up traveling to Indiana for an abortion.
A 27-year-old Columbus, Ohio, man has been charged with raping the girl after he allegedly confessed, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Bopp’s model law doesn’t provide for criminal charges against women who have abortions. But it does make it a felony to perform or to aid and abet and abortion, the Indianapolis Star reports.
The law allows women who obtain abortions to bring wrongful death suits against the provider. Civil suits for violations could also be brought by prosecutors, by the father of the fetus and by grandparents of the fetus.
hitliquor999 on July 16th, 2022 at 14:00 UTC »
Ok, so let me try to get this straight. The 10 year old should have to carry the baby to term while risking her own life.
There is no father because he will be in jail for being a rapist.
The 10 year old is in fifth grade and has no means to support a child, as she is still a minor under the care of her own parents.
She can not legally work, and is probably too young to apply for any sort of public benefits.
She cannot be legally held responsible for the well being of her child, nor is she mature enough to understand what needs an infant has.
I could go on but I am too disgusted. This barely scratches the surface.
Jeramus on July 16th, 2022 at 13:27 UTC »
Why should a fetus have a right to live, but the mother not share that same right? Pregnancy is dangerous especially for a 10 year old. These supposedly "pro-life" people make me sick.
I don't think it is immoral to care more about the well-being of a child than that of the fetus inside her.
scsuhockey on July 16th, 2022 at 13:13 UTC »
Every forced-birth politician needs to be asked: “What punishment would you give to a 10 year old child for choosing not to put her life at risk by carrying her rapist’s baby to term?”