Catholic World News News Feature

Pro-Abortion Violence March 06, 2002

By Robert Kumpel

Murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, torture, kidnapping, rape, stalking, death threats, bomb threats, sex crimes, conspiracy, drug crimes, property crimes, medical crimes and fraud-related crimes--are these the fruits of legal abortion? The Abortion Crime Report, published last year by California Right to Life demonstrates that they are.

In a summary of pro-abortion violence in the United States, the report lists a total of 2,297 incidents of pro-abortion violence and illegal activities. The report then goes on to list crimes committed by abortionists in California by city, citing the original sources of information. The source for much of the information came from the Medical Board of California, which is responsible for licensing and bringing disciplinary action against state physicians.

The Abortion Crime Report was written as a response to a California legislative report written by Gregory De Giere, a state senate staffer, entitled Crimes Against Reproductive Rights in California. The De Giere report was submitted to bolster support for a bill by State Senator Debbie Ortiz of Sacramento, which was designed to classify sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics--attempting to dissuade patients from procuring abortions--an act of harassment and add the charge of "hate crime" to these activities. (The Ortiz bill was signed into law by Governor Davis last October 15.)

The report contains 76 detailed descriptions of single or multiple incidents involving abortion providers. Of those 76 descriptions, 40 involve physicians, clinics or pro-abortion activists in the Los Angeles area. They include the story of Alicia Ruiz Hanna, an abortionist convicted in 1994 of murder and of impersonating a doctor.

Another disturbing case involves Bruce Steir, an abortionist with a track record of botched abortions and disciplinary actions. While on medical probation, he perforated the uterus of Sharon Hamptlon while performing an abortion on her at A Lady's Choice Women's Medical Center on December 13, 1996. She later bled to death after arriving home in Barstow. Steir surrendered his medical license in March of 1997 and was charged with murder. Although he was nearly buried in various other complaints of shoddy medical practice from his patients--many of whom required surgery by other physicians to remedy Steir's bad work--Steir's cause was taken up by the National Organization for Women, the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the National Abortion Federation, and Refuse and Resist. All of these groups argued against filing any charges against Steir.

Of all the doctors in Los Angeles charged with malpractice, murder, fraud and various other crimes, the runaway leader is probably Dr. Ivan Namihas With four incidents of rape, 45 incidents of sexual abuse, gross negligence, and mail fraud, Namihas' record describes a sexual predator who used his medical license like a hunting license. He allegedly impregnated one of his patients, repeatedly raped his half-sister, and has more than 100 patients and former patients who have made allegations of medical misconduct or sexual abuse--some of which date back to 1969.

VIOLENCE OUTSIDE CLINICS

Pro-abortion violence and villainy in Los Angeles is not restricted to doctors. The Report lists several incidents of pro-life protesters being viciously mocked, kicked, beaten, and bitten. Especially noteworthy is the March 1989 case of an Orange city police officer who dragged a pro-life demonstrator behind a wall at Family Planning Associates in Cypress to beat him savagely, even though the pro-lifer was offering no resistance. That same month, three pro-abortionists were arrested after igniting an incendiary device in a church filled with 2,500 pro-life activists. Concussion grenades were also found beneath the speaking platform where the pro-life leaders were supposed to speak.

A Southern California consultant who assisted in compiling the Report said that support for Ortiz' bill was based on the assumption that pro-life people are "terrorists" and the state must maximize the law in order to protect "good abortionists" from violent people. "Of course De Giere's report got tremendous media publicity, but it was absolutely bogus," said the consultant. "Everyone took it at face value without even checking the sources. The media's response to our report on abortion crimes was zero." The California Right to Life consultant said that every major daily in California received a copy of the Abortion Crime Report. Also, a copy was directed to each paper's medical writer and another copy was sent to every one of their bureau chiefs in Sacramento.

Diana Peyton, assistant to the city editor at the Los Angeles Daily News, dismissed the question why The Abortion Crime Report was ignored. "I think what you're saying is that it was misrepresented or that the issue wasn't given as much attention as you feel it needed," she said. "The best thing you can do is write a letter to the editor."