Abortion Bill Would Force Rape Victims To Continue Pregnancy As 'Evidence'

[FusedMass]

A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial.

House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."

“Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime," the bill says.

Third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Pat Davis of ProgressNow New Mexico, a progressive nonprofit opposing the bill, called it "blatantly unconstitutional" on Thursday.

“The bill turns victims of rape and incest into felons and forces them to become incubators of evidence for the state,” he said. “According to Republican philosophy, victims who are ‘legitimately raped’ will now have to carry the fetus to term in order to prove their case.“

The bill is unlikely to pass, as Democrats have a majority in both chambers of New Mexico's state legislature.

UPDATE: 12:25 p.m. -- Brown said in a statement Thursday that she introduced the bill with the goal of punishing the person who commits incest or rape and then procures or facilitates an abortion to destroy the evidence of the crime.

Read the Bill Here: http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13%2...use/HB0206.pdf

“New Mexico needs to strengthen its laws to deter sex offenders,” said Brown. “By adding this law in New Mexico, we can help to protect women across our state.”
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...ef=mostpopular

http://www.policymic.com/articles/24...th-as-evidence

http://www.onenewspage.com/n/World/7...Victims-To.htm

http://www.inquisitr.com/494000/prop...y-as-evidence/

Comments:

I have seen my fair share of insane things. However this tops one of the lists because it has to do with human basic rights. In order to bring to trail a person accused of rape. The woman would be FORCED to keep the Pregnancy as Evidence. Let that sink in for a bit. She would have to keep a baby she was forced to have out of rape in order to put the person behind bars.

I think this is not a woman or men's issues. it's a civil rights issue. It goes against the cruel and unusual punishment. Any rape victim wants bring their attack into court would be forced to keep the child the entire time. By the time court is up she would have no choice but to have the child. It's very bizarre a few months ago.

A Republican said that a women's body has a way to shut that whole thing down and not even get knocked up if she was raped. However this is the most recent. The question is would you support a Law like this in your country. (This took place in the US) imagine even for a brief moment this took place where you live.

My poll questions are going to be straight forward. Yes...No..Or Undecided anyone who has concerns with that simply PM me and the next time I make a poll I'll consider it.

[torterra275]

Alright yeah, it COULD be used as evidence, but why make it mandatory, there are plenty of other ways to determine rape I'm sure.

[Deleted]

I'd rather kill myself in such a case.

[Deadvolcanoes]

This article is incorrect, and the bill is being updated. The rape victim would not be charged with a crime.

Its purpose is to make it a crime to force someone to get an abortion in order to eliminate evidence of rape or incest.

Again the rape victim will not be charged with a crime.

[Raiju]

Isn't it a crime to force an abortion anyway? Will this increase the terms for rape/incest cases?

[Sharde]

the evidence coud pretty much extracted from any amount of cells. so a scrambled fetus should suffice.

i actually don't know why i answer such a question without weeping loudly for the fate of humanity ...

the actuall thought that there is at least one human beeing thinking such a bill would be a good idea is just sad ...

and he also is in a position to propose such a thing ... sad.


facepalmingly sad



EDIT: wow allmost a 180° turn here. but are there polititians who would FORCE someone to get an abortion? in the usa? wtf.

[Adam Jensen]

This article is incorrect, and the bill is being updated. The rape victim would not be charged with a crime.

Its purpose is to make it a crime to force someone to get an abortion in order to eliminate evidence of rape or incest.

Again the rape victim will not be charged with a crime.

The wording is incredibly vague though:

Tampering with evidence shall include procuring
or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another
to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of
criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to
destroy evidence of the crime.

The part in bold is what worries me.

[smelltheglove]

on fox they are claiming a miscommunication, that it was never meant to target victims, only target perpetrators forcing victims to get an abortion. im not buying fox's take here at all. we already have laws that cover that sort of thing, a tampering with evidence charge is piddly next to what is already on the books. they are saying parts will be rewritten to reflect this, whatever. they most likely hoped to sneak it through without anybody noticing

[Adam Jensen]

Isn't it a crime to force an abortion anyway? Will this increase the terms for rape/incest cases?

Makes no sense why this bill is even necessary.

[FusedMass]

This article is incorrect, and the bill is being updated. The rape victim would not be charged with a crime.

Its purpose is to make it a crime to force someone to get an abortion in order to eliminate evidence of rape or incest.

Again the rape victim will not be charged with a crime.

According to the information. It would be a crime even for the rape victim to get an abortion she would be required to carry the child all through the trail. Unless you have some new source links. I'd be happy to look at. This article however was updated several times throughout the day. If it was a crime for the person to force the victim solely I believe it would have been mentioned.

Some source links would greatly back up you're claim.

No offense to Fox. They are really not known for their sincerity. They are like a working arm of the Republican Party. That's like Michelle Batchman saying she channeled the spirt of John Wayne Gacy the mass murder who killed over 10 kids then said she mis spoke.

[Etherius]

Wow, just... no.
These ideas are getting as bad as trying to fix oil leaks with golf balls...

[smelltheglove]

According to the information. It would be a crime even for the rape victim to get an abortion she would be required to carry the child all through the trail. Unless you have some new source links. I'd be happy to look at. This article however was updated several times throughout the day. If it was a crime for the person to force the victim solely I believe it would have been mentioned.

Some source links would greatly back up you're claim.

No offense to Fox. They are really not known for their sincerity. They are like a working arm of the Republican Party. That's like Michelle Batchman saying she channeled the spirt of John Wayne Gacy the mass murder who killed over 10 kids then said she mis spoke.

i dont trust fox on the motive, but i do believe that the bill is being changed. basically because they got caught, and are trying to play innocent

[Deadvolcanoes]

The wording is incredibly vague though:



The part in bold is what worries me.

"With the intent to destroy evidence of a crime."

That's the most important part.

This might be useful if a father has sex with his daughter, gets her pregnant, and forces her to get an abortion. The doctor would also be charged if he/she knew about the crime and didn't report it.

I feel like that's already a crime, but I guess not.

[Reeve]

This article is incorrect, and the bill is being updated. The rape victim would not be charged with a crime.

Its purpose is to make it a crime to force someone to get an abortion in order to eliminate evidence of rape or incest.

Again the rape victim will not be charged with a crime.

What if the woman is the rapist? Could she be forced to keep the baby under this law?

[IRL]

More evidence of how politicians are disconnected from reality. (We need term limits!)

The baby's life is sacred and deserves to be saved...but not so it can be used as evidence!

[Deadvolcanoes]

According to the information. It would be a crime even for the rape victim to get an abortion she would be required to carry the child all through the trail. Unless you have some new source links. I'd be happy to look at. This article however was updated several times throughout the day. If it was a crime for the person to force the victim solely I believe it would have been mentioned.

Some source links would greatly back up you're claim.

No offense to Fox. They are really not known for their sincerity. They are like a working arm of the Republican Party. That's like Michelle Batchman saying she channeled the spirt of John Wayne Gacy the mass murder who killed over 10 kids then said she mis spoke.

I don't need new sources, look at your own article:

UPDATE: 12:25 p.m. -- Brown said in a statement Thursday that she introduced the bill with the goal of punishing the person who commits incest or rape and then procures or facilitates an abortion to destroy the evidence of the crime.

And I'm not sure why you are mentioning Fox?

[FusedMass]

i dont trust fox on the motive, but i do believe that the bill is being changed. basically because they got caught, and are trying to play innocent

Exactly. The person is a Tea Party Republican and this bill has virtually no chance of being passed at all. I think she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar and not trying to play damage control. I sincerely believe she meant what she said in the bill. There's very little chance you could make a bill like that and mis speaking on it..trying to change the terms and conditions.

Still pretty shocking. If Republicans or Tea Party had majority in both places they could pass the bill. What kind of society would we live in then.

To the poster above me. She made it pretty clear that the person of the rape would have to carry the fetus through the trail. Then she say's this is to stop people from forcing her to get rid of it through abortion.

The intent of the bill was to make it a crime for ANYONE even the victim to abort the pregnancy during the trail. How else could they use it as evidence. I mention Fox because they are already back tracking on their comments saying it was a misunderstanding.

[Raiju]

Can I not change my response to a poll on these forums ¬¬ Another flawed fusedmass poll...

[Lefrog]

Makes no sense why this bill is even necessary.

Then you sir have no met the rapist that forced a miscarriage on the victim with no other evidence tying him to the rape.

Also, the female teacher (on law and order svu) that had sex with her student then had an abortion to erase all evidence.

This law attempts the close a loophole where rapist can currently destroy the only piece of evidence without consequences.

[Deadvolcanoes]

What if the woman is the rapist? Could she be forced to keep the baby under this law?

That's a pretty interesting plot twist...Nice catch. Honestly, I don't know. And I'm not sure that I would care. Rapists are pretty much the bottom of the barrel for me.