More than 2,000 aborted children to be buried in South Bend

South Bend, Ind., Feb 11, 2020 / 11:35 am

The remains of more than two thousand aborted children discovered in a garage belonging to deceased abortionist Dr. Ulrich Klopfer will be laid to rest on Wednesday.

The remains will be buried on Wednesday at Southlawn Cemetery in South Bend, Indiana, with state Attorney General Curtis Hill scheduled to attend and address the service on behalf of the state. Representatives from Right to Life Michiana will lead a prayer service following Hill's speech. 

On Sunday, February 23, there will be an additional memorial service to honor the aborted children. That service is being jointly organized by Right to Life Michiana, Lake County Right to Life, and Right to Life Northeast Indiana. 

On Sept. 12 last year, a little more than a week after Klopfer died, the medically-preserved remains of 2,246 aborted babies were found in boxes in his garage, along with patient records. Klopfer, who lived in Will County, IL, was a prolific abortionist who at one point operated three clinics throughout the state of Indiana.

In October, 2019, additional aborted children were discovered in the trunk of one of Klopfer's cars, bringing the total to 2,411. The children were all aborted between 2000 and 2003, with the majority dating from 2000 to 2002.

During his decades-long career as an abortionist, Klopfer is estimated to have aborted more than 30,000 children. His medical license was temporarily suspended by the state of Indiana in 2015 and indefinitely in 2016, after numerous complaints were made against him to state authorities. He admitted to performing abortions on two 13 year-old girls and not reporting the cases to the state in a timely manner. His Fort Wayne clinic was reported by the state's medical board to be "rundown," and he charged adult patients extra for pain medication.

Klopfer also admitted to performing an abortion on a 10 year-old girl in Illinois, who had been raped by her uncle, while not reporting her case to the authorities.

In December 2019, the Indiana Attorney General's office released a preliminary report investigating the discovery of the fetal remains. Due to Klopfer's death, there will not be any charges filed. 

"The troubling discovery of 2,411 fetal remains from Indiana abortion clinics was a shock to our state and our nation alike, and my office is proud to lead the investigation of this horrific situation to bring answers and closure to all those impacted," Indiana Attorney Hill said in the report issued by his office.

"My office continues to work diligently on the investigation of the circumstances leading to this discovery, and I intend to provide for a dignified burial of these remains in accordance with Indiana law so these remains may finally rest in peace," said Hill.

The report said that the preliminary investigation found that Klopfer failed to properly dispose of fetal remains as required by Indiana law.

The children were unable to be identified, said Hill at the time.

Former mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg, who is currently a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president, said in September that he found the discovery to be "extremely disturbing," and he supported an investigation. He also said that he hoped the discovery of the hoarded aborted children will not used to further restrict abortion rights.

"I hope that it doesn't get caught up in politics at a time when women need access to healthcare," he added. Buttigieg has since repeated his support for abortion up until the child takes its first breath.

As mayor, Buttigieg attempted to block the construction of a crisis pregnancy center aiming to offer support to women considering abortion in South Bend. Buttigieg instead supported the operation of Whole Women's Health, an abortion clinic operating without a license and administered by a former employee of Klopfer.