Photo by Matt Keller Lehman
A child victim of incest has been turned away from Florida abortion clinics under the state’s 15-week ban.
This story comes this week via Buzzfeed News, who spoke with representatives from a local chapter of Planned Parenthood. Florida’s controversial ban on abortions after 15 weeks provides exceptions for saving the mother’s life and fetal abnormalities. However, there are no exemptions for rape and incest cases, which has been repeatedly pointed out to Republican lawmakers in Florida. They passed it anyway.
Planned Parenthood obviously didn’t share the child’s identity, however, they said she was a middle schooler. Florida’s draconian abortion restrictions are still the most lax among neighboring states since the Supreme Court overturned precedent protecting abortion rights earlier this year. This meant that the child in question had to travel to two or three states to receive the procedure.
“The cruelty of forcing a very young person, who has already survived a horrific case of violence, to give birth, it just takes away her right to bodily autonomy, and it’s really turning a blind eye to what’s going on in our company,” said Laura Goodhue, vice president of Florida Planned Parenthood.
Florida activists have regularly protested the repeal of abortion rights, with regular rallies in downtown Orlando.
