Indianapolis, Ind., Dec 15, 2008 / 23:41 pm
A new undercover video from Live Action Films reveals that a second Indiana Planned Parenthood clinic refused to report the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl and instead referred her to an out-of-state clinic to evade Indiana’s parental consent abortion laws.
The second Indiana video is part of Live Action Film's "Mona Lisa Project," a series of investigations aimed at documenting how secret abortions keep young girls trapped in cycles of sexual abuse.
Similar to the first video, the new footage shows Lila Rose, a student journalist and president of Live Action, entering the Indianapolis clinic. She tells the staff member that she is a 13-year-old girl who was impregnated by her 31-year-old boyfriend.
In response, the staff member states that she doesn’t want to know the age of her boyfriend before sending Rose to a counselor at the clinic.
The counselor’s reaction is similar: "I don't care how old he is."
When Rose tells the counselor that her mother would be upset about the 31-year-old boyfriend, the counselor informs Rose that "the surrounding states don't have parental consent. I can't tell you anymore."
The organization’s first Indiana video, which was shot at a Bloomington, Indiana Planned Parenthood, yielded similar responses from the clinic’s employees. Neither clinic reported the statutory rape and both counseled the girl to cross state lines to avoid Indiana’s parental consent laws.
Although the Bloomington clinic fired its nurse who dealt with Rose, the Live Action president comments that these two Indiana clinics are not isolated incidents. “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."
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On Monday, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter launched an investigation of Planned Parenthood in response to the Bloomington footage. In 2005, the Attorney General also sought the records of 84 Planned Parenthood patients under the age of fourteen who may have been victims of sexual abuse, but Planned Parenthood sued to prevent their release.
In Live Action’s press release, Rose commended the Attorney General's efforts. "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."
Rose went on to challenge Planned Parenthood to cooperate. "Planned Parenthood must release files they have previously sued to keep private and allow state authorities to conduct a complete investigation."
She added, "Mandatory reporting laws are necessary for the protection of young girls, and Planned Parenthood must not be allowed to sabotage them."
For more information on The Mona Lisa Project, please visit LiveActionFilms.org.