A reader of this blog on Facebook expressed concern that my post yesterday, “Abortion, fetal tissue, and rape” was encouraging rape victims to submit to abortions. Let me be clear. My post is not about encouraging rape victims to have abortions. I believe that it takes courage and generosity to continue to carry a child conceived by rape, and that we should affirm, support and encourage women who do so.
My post focused on the use of DNA from aborted children to convict rapists, and particularly those who rape young girls. In cases where the girl continues her pregnancy, we can get a DNA sample from the baby after she gives birth, or even during the pregnancy if other reasons exist for amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. In cases, however, where the young girl has an abortion, we want to preserve a DNA sample to help law enforcement find and punish the rapist. That is why I support the Kansas law requiring abortion clinics to preserve fetal tissue from abortions performed on victims of statutory rape and submit tissue samples to state crime labs for use in criminal investigations.