New Mexico Bill Would Send Rape Victims to Prison For Having Abortion
New Mexico State Rep. Catherynn Brown has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for women to terminate a pregnancy that resulted from rape; on the grounds of “tampering with evidence.”
The offense – a third degree felony – would be punishable by up to three years in prison, and would implicate the doctor who performed the abortion as well.
Such a law could even create scenarios where the rape victim receives a longer prison sentence than her attacker.
This is outrageous.
Didn’t conservatives learn anything from the Todd Akin debacle? It’s almost the definition of political insanity. The idea of a woman and her doctor being charged with “tampering with evidence” if a rape-induced pregnancy is not carried to term is about as illogical as it gets.
Is the judge supposed to ask the victim’s lawyer to present the baby as state’s evidence? And what is the baby supposed to do—testify to the court as an eyewitness about how it was violently rammed into conception to prove that it was a “forcible rape?”
Also, a baby’s DNA is not needed to prove that a rape occurred, though some have speculated that proving the rapist is the father of the child could be a key piece of evidence. Well, here is a newsflash. You don’t have to prove that Joe Six-pack is the father. You just have to prove that he is the rapist, and the DNA from him is the real key, not some morbid paternity test.
Fortunately, the bill is unlikely to pass, since Democrats hold majorities in the NM House and Senate.
But it should serve a reminder that this kind of craziness is a legitimate legislative initiative to a certain political party; and Democrats won’t always be there to stop them.
Read more at AddictingInfo.org
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