South Bend, Ind., Oct 10, 2019 / 09:45 am
More fetal remains were found in vehicles owned by the late Indiana abortionist Ulrich Klopfer on Wednesday, just weeks after the remains of more than 2,200 aborted babies were first discovered at his Illinois residence.
On Oct. 9, the Will County, Illinois, Sheriff's Office discovered more fetal remains in vehicles owned by Klopfer, which were parked at an outdoor gated lot at a business property in Dolton, Illinois.
According to a release by the Indiana Attorney General's office, investigators found eight cars belonging to Klopfer and discovered, in the trunk of one of the vehicles, five plastic bags and one box that contained fetal remains.
"The discovery of more fetal remains that Dr. Klopfer hoarded for his grotesque collection is just more reason we need to pass my Dignity for Aborted Children Act, which would ensure the remains of aborted children are given the proper burial and respect they deserve and horrible discoveries like this cannot be allowed to happen again," Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said in a statement provided to CNA.
Braun's Dignity for Aborted Children Act has been cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Klopfer had performed obstetrics, gynecological services, and surgical and medical abortions at clinics in Fort Wayne, Gary, and South Bend, Indiana. He was estimated to have aborted more than 30,000 children over a span of four decades.
His medical license was suspended by the state of Indiana in 2015 and indefinitely in 2016, after numerous complaints were issued against him. He admitted to performing abortions on two 13 year-old girls and did not report 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.
He 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.
On Sept. 3, Klopfer died, and on Sept. 12, local Will County, Illinois authorities were alerted by Klopfer's family to the discovery of fetal remains at his Illinois residence. Authorities found medically-preserved fetal remains of 2,246 babies at his home, along with patient records.
The remains were reportedly stored in boxes dated 2000-2002, a period during which Klopfer owned and operated three abortion clinics in Indiana. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend offered to have the fetal remains buried at a Catholic cemetery in his diocese.
Since then, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill (R) has announced that he is working with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D) to investigate the matter.
"We grieve for the little ones denied their very humanity and with the mothers forced to relive the trauma endured at Klopfer's hands, wondering if their child is among his collection of bodies," Sue Swayze Liebel, state policy director for the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List and an Indiana native, stated. "All of Klopfer's victims deserved so much better."
Attorney General Hill said that "the protocol we have already set up for dealing with these disturbing circumstances" will apply to the newly-discovered remains, and that the office will work to make sure "that these unborn children receive a respectful final disposition here in Indiana."
In addition to their legislation in the Senate, Indiana Senators Young and Braun have petitioned the office of U.S. Attorney General William Barr for assistance in the current multi-state investigation into Klopfer, along with 65 Members in the House.
The White House has also called for a "full investigation" into the situation.