Abortionist Ulrich Klopfer
Hats off to Amanda Gray of the South Bend Tribune. She reports
"At least four Indiana doctors have waited weeks or even months to report abortions provided to girls under 14 despite a law requiring them to do so within three days, according to state records.
"The law, intended to speed up reporting of statutory rape and sexual abuse, is part of a larger requirement for all Indiana abortions to be reported every six months. The law requires doctors to report within three days any abortions provided to girls 13 and younger to both the Department of Child Services and the Indiana State Department of Health. Breaking the law is a Class B misdemeanor."
Gray explained that the reports (which the newspaper obtained from public record requests) came from five counties. The abortionist who ignored the requirement the most was Ulrich Klopfer, in St. Joseph County. According to Department of Health reports, in at least three abortions since 2011 Kloper's reports were "well past the three-day window," Gray reported.
On September 13, 2013, Allen County Right to Life Executive Director, Cathie Humbarger and sidewalk counselor Evelyn Witte filed complaints with the Indiana Attorney General's office and the Indiana Medical Licensing Board. According to Indiana Right to Life, Humbarger reviewed the publicly- available records which shows that Klopfer (of the Fort Wayne Women's Health Organization) performed an abortion on a 13-year-old girl on Februaray 7 but the Indiana Department of Health reported receiving the report on July 25.
In Gray's story, we learn that Klopfer is an Illinois-based abortionist who provides abortions in three Indiana counties. Sue Swayze, communications director with Indiana's Professional Licensing Agency, told Gray that Kloper's Indiana medical licenses is currently listed as "valid while under review." In addition, "Klopfer is scheduled to come before the medical licensing board Jan. 22 in Indianapolis because of public statements he made about having failed to report an abortion of a 13-year-old"—comments made to an online pro-abortion blog.
However, Klopfer is not the only abortionist who failed to adhere to state reporting requirements. In seven of the 12 abortions performed on girls under 14 since July 2011, abortionists "did not file reports until several weeks — in one incident, it was six months — after the procedure," Gray reported. "In two other cases, it was unclear when the reports were filed because state records are incomplete."
The law was approved overwhelmingly in 2011. In the Indiana House the vote was 83-11. In the Indiana Senate the vote was 48-0.
Timely reporting of young teen abortions is critical to the investigations of possible abuse, according to prosecutors and child safety advocates.
"What we know is that some sex offenders have more than one victim," Jennifer Pickering, spokeswoman for Prevent Child Abuse St. Joseph County, told Gray. "The sooner the opportunity arises to investigate, the sooner DCS [Department of Child Services], can get involved and the sooner you can assure that girl is safe and determine if there are any other victims."
When Humbarger and Witte filed their complaint against Klopfer back in September, Mike Fichter, President and CEO of Indiana Right to Life said
"Indiana law is very clear about what needs to be reported, to whom and when reporting must take place regarding abortions on girls under 14 years of age. The law, instructions for reporting and violation details are printed at the top of each terminated pregnancy report. Klopfer's failure to report this abortion raises serious red flags about his abortion business. If he fails to send in a one-page form when he does an abortion on a 13-year-old, how can anyone know if he is following state abortion law in other areas such as informed consent, facility standards and appropriately determining the age of the baby before he aborts him or her?"
Contact: Dave Andrusko, National Right to Life
