Mother arrested for attempting to intervene in her 14-year old's decision to have abortion
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
By Joyce Morrison, Southern IL News Correspondent
For legal reasons, the names of the family and the 14-year old girl that are the subject of this story have been withheld at this time.
GRANITE CITY - A Sothern Illinois woman was arrested last week (March 17) after trying to intervene on behalf of her 14-year old daughter's effort to have an abortion. The girl was allegedly taken to an abortion clinic by the mother of the man allegedly to have impregnated the 14-year old.
According to the girl's mother, her 14-year old daughter was called off from school in Madison County by a woman posing as the girl's “grandmother.” The woman took the girl from her home only minutes before the girl’s mother returned home from work.
It was later determined that the woman who had posed as the "grandmother" to the school authorities was the mother of the male who had fathered the unborn child the 14-year old girl was carrying. The age of the male has not been released.
When the parents were notified their pregnant daughter was not at school, they suspected she had been taken to the Hope Abortion Clinic in Granite City. The parents and grandfather were the only persons authorized to request school absence for the fourteen year old female.
“My husband and I rushed to the abortion clinic where we saw our daughter’s name on the roster and the time she had checked in,” the mother said. She then went into the clinic and searched a room filled with young women awaiting abortions but did not see her daughter.
She took a seat near the main desk and said, “I was told I could not prove my daughter was there so I began calling her name. A medical tech at the clinic told me , ‘It’s your daughter’s rights, it’s her body. You have no rights.’”
After continuing to call out her daughter’s name and telling her “don’t do it,” authorities were called and the mother was arrested.
The 14-year old told her mother she could hear her but when she asked employees to give her mother a message, they came back to the room and told her that her mother had left.
Angela Michaels, of Small Victories Ministry, was tipped off as to what was happending at the Hope clinic. According to Michaels, she witnessed police placing the mother’s hands behind her back, taking her into custody. As the police were putting the mother in the squad car, she was crying out, “Please, please, help me...my daughter is in there.”
Michaels said, “Exactly one hour later at 10:35 a.m., the 14-year old emerged from the clinic looking disheveled. The 14-year old told us that employees kept her in a quiet room until the procedure was performed and she was told that her mother had left.”
Employees assured this girl on her departure, “No-one will ever know you were here, we’ll bury your records.”
In the meantime, the woman who had taken the girl for the abortion was slipped out the back door of the clinic.
The police in the community in which the family lives allegedly told the girl's mom that they couldn't intervene despite her making a charge that her daughter had been raped (by statute) because the charge was stale--7 weeks after the incident. They did tell the girl's mom that, while she had no right to stop the abortion, she did have a right to go into the clinic and speak to her daughter.
The parents are expected to file charges.
© 2005 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved
Weird situation. Do parents have a right to stop an abortion? I don't know how I feel about this, other than a lot of people seemed to have overstepped their bounds here. Especially the Clinic and the males mother.
I think the ultimate decision lies with the 14 year old regardless, but I think to hide her and giver that kind of information is beyond bad.
To me it's absolutely clear cut.
A 14-year-old, male or female, is under the legal responsibility of the parent(s). Period, end of story.
The belief that a 14-year-old has rights beyond their parents is a direct contributor to incidents such as these.
Manny, I know what you are trying to say, but I strenuously object to the phrase "overstepped their bounds". Apart from the philosophy question, I see the following crimes committed in the above story:
Kidnapping
False imprisonment
False arrest
False official statement
Statutory rape (this is a conditional, depending on Illinois law, which I don't know)
And those are the obvious ones. Depending on the laws concerning the abortion procedure for minors in Illinois, there is the abstract possibility of aggravated assault. Not so obvious in that case.
This was not "overstepping bounds". This was criminal.
Yeah, well, it was criminal, based on this article. But I'd like more information. Children do have rights that extend beyond the power of the parents, that's nothing new.
I don't think a 14 year old should have to have parental permission for an abortion.
It's obvious you don't have a teenage daughter...
A child that age should never have medical procedures performed on them without the parents' consent. The school nurse can't give her a tylenol, but a stranger can take a child and have a dangerous medical procedure done? That's unfathomable.
Just to clarify, I agree with you on most of that Travis.
You and I are in utter and irreconcilable disagreement over this one.
Thanks, and to clarify, our disagreement is on the matter of the abortion for the 14-year-old without notification.
I don't agree with the tylenol thing either.
I'm consistent in my beliefs, based what I feel a persons rights are. I woudln't want my daughter have an abortion to begin with, much less one without my consent.
However, I also see bad situations arising from a parent forcing a child to have a child.
I was wondering how long it would take before someone brought out the "you're not a parent" card. That's fine, I don't think I've ever claimed to be.I base my views on how I feel the government should protect and uphold certain rights, not based on emotion.
It's a tough call. I definitely think parents should be notified, but I'm not sure I believe they should have to consent. I guess it depends on whether you think forced pregnancy is closer to withholding Tylenol or to committing child abuse.
Last edited by Spurminator; 03-24-2005 at 02:35 PM.
Probably should have intervened in her getting knocked up, but yeah, it's the parents' call. They are completely responsible for BOTH kids though, even til the granddaughter is 18. That is their responsiblity from their choice.
I would think that the daughter would have to have consent. I could see where a child could make decisions that conflict with their parents if that child was "divorced" from them legally. I believe that happened with that 15 year-old female tennis player. She got a court "divorce" from her parents so she could make her own choices and keep them from financially robbing her. I think 14 is too young to choose to have a medical procedure done. If you have the right to have an abortion at 14 then you should have the right to see an R rated movie or drink beer.
Blocking the mom from seeing her daughter is ridiculous. I would have liked to see them stop me from seeing her. The clinic will be in deep lawsuit and so will the school for allowing a stranger to pick her up. I would sue them first, then have my arrest record cleared, and the police department made to write a new set of procedures for cases like this.
Manny, I'm not trying to say that "you don't have the right to that opinion if you haven't been through that experience" kind of thing... I'm just saying that just a little experience as a parent of a 14 year old child will clearly show you that a child like that is not prepared mentally or emotionally to make that decision nor deal adequately with the consequences.
And I'm with User... I would sue the heck out of every single one of the people who did that to my daughter.
I'm with User also, let someone try and give my daughter an abortion at 14 without talking to me, there would be to pay........
If she doesn't need parental permission for such an enormous decision such as abortion she shouldn't need permission for and should be declared an adult.
This to me is clear cut. A woman has the right to choose what she does with her body. A kid usually isn't prepared for a decision like that. Then again, a kid isn't prepared to be a mother either.
I don't think some of you are considering the nine months of pregnancy that goes along with a parent preventing her child from having an abortion. We're not talking about a boob job here.
I hate the idea of a child getting an abortion, particularly against the wishes of her parent... But I'm also not comfortable with the idea of setting a LEGAL precedent of MANDATORY parental consent.
I disagree with you. Do you really expect me to believe that many of your views are not based upon emotion? You are one of the most emotional posters here.I was wondering how long it would take before someone brought out the "you're not a parent" card. That's fine, I don't think I've ever claimed to be.
Irony is best when slow-cooked in a crock pot.
I think you are confusing the passion I hold my beliefs with how those beliefs are established.
I am very passionate about my beliefs, but the standard I go by is not based on emotion.
Give it a couple months, the mom will be put on trial the name will be public record.Employees assured this girl on her departure, “No-one will ever know you were here, we’ll bury your records.”
That's just being a wuss, how did the girl get back if she was the rideIn the meantime, the woman who had taken the girl for the abortion was slipped out the back door of the clinic.
If that's really the case there can be a serious suit against the abortion clinic for withholding their rights. I hope that's the case. 14 year olds can't drive but they can have abortions????The police in the community in which the family lives allegedly told the girl's mom that they couldn't intervene despite her making a charge that her daughter had been raped (by statute) because the charge was stale--7 weeks after the incident. They did tell the girl's mom that, while she had no right to stop the abortion, she did have a right to go into the clinic and speak to her daughter.
In the spirit of the season, nail the to a cross. Figuratively of couse.The parents are expected to file charges.
Moreso, I'd be interested as to who's idea this abortion was, a 14 year old is very impressionable, and it was HIS mom who took them there. It's just sad, 14 year olds don't have the mental faculties to comprehend what will happen later on, you have jerks like her boyfriend and her mom. I hope this don't lead to phychological problems for her. The sad thing is that the boyfriend gets off scot free no Statutory Rape or kidnapping, the most they could stick him with is cospiracy.
Sorry Manny, but I also believe this about you.
Happens all the time. A lot of abortions by young girls are statutory rapes and no one does about it.sad thing is that the boyfriend gets off scot free no Statutory Rape or kidnapping, the most they could stick him with is cospiracy.
i just can't believe this young was allowed to do this w/o consent bc she is 14.. i could see them letting a 16 year old, but 14???
Believe what you want, but I challange both you and GoN, or anyone for that matter, to find a place where my opinion on something outside of the death penalty is based on emotions. And the death penalty is so so.
Sol, I'll repeat word for word.
I think you are confusing the passion I hold my beliefs with how those beliefs are established.
I am very passionate about my beliefs, but the standard I go by is not based on emotion.
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