Sixth Planned Parenthood Accused of Statutory Rape Cover-Up
A California-based pro-life group that leads undercover investigations into Planned Parenthood released a YouTube video Monday that shows a clinic counselor in Memphis coaching a 14-year-old girl to lie about the age of her 31-year-old boyfriend in order to get an abortion waiver without parental consent.
Lila Rose, 20, president of the non-profit Live Action, entered Planned Parenthood's Memphis Health Center posing as a minor who was impregnated by a "much older" man.
The hidden-camera records Rose telling the counselor that she is 14 and that she needed a secret abortion so her parents would not find out about her 31-year-old "boyfriend."
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Tennessee law requires health professionals to report suspected cases of sexual abuse of minors to law enforcement immediately.
After revealing her boyfriend's age, Rose asked the counselor whether he would get in trouble – to which the counselor responded with several different answers.
The counselor at first said "No" but when Rose pressed further, the counselor said, "I don't know."
Then Planned Parenthood counselor told Rose on camera, "Look, if we keep this conversation I'm gonna have to talk to my manager and yeah, [your boyfriend]'s gonna get in trouble."
She later promised, "I'm not gonna tell anybody, ok?" and added "And please don't say that I told you this."
When Rose tells the counselor she thinks her boyfriend will get in trouble if her parents find out, the counselor advises Rose to lie about the man's age when speaking to a judge in order to obtain a bypass of Tennessee's parental consent law for abortion.
"Don't mention [the age]," advised the counselor. " Just say you have a boyfriend 17 years old...whatever."
The sessions was filmed last July but Live Action made the video available on Monday.
"This is the sixth clinic we have recorded that manipulates the law and covers up sexual abuse. Planned Parenthood's abortion-first mentality makes it operate as an advocate for terrible crimes against children," Rose said following the latest video's release.
"What more do authorities need to see before holding this organization accountable for its institutionalized indifference to statutory rape and sexual abuse of children?"
The group has released similar undercover videos in recent months, as part of its "Mona Lisa Project," of Planned Parenthood counselors in Arizona and Indiana allegedly not complying with state laws that require reporting sexual abuse of minors.
Planned Parenthood responded to the allegations Monday, saying it has requested an unedited version of the tape from Live Action for review.
"An edited tape released by an anti-choice organization purports to show an employee violating our own internal policies," said Joan Carr, director of Planned Parenthood community affairs, according to Memphis Commercial Appeal.
"This is a serious allegation," she said in an e-mail response. "Although we cannot yet verify the accuracy of these edited tapes, we have already taken swift action and are conducting additional staff training this week."
Rose, a UCLA student, will be a featured speaker at Live Action's first-ever student conference, which will be held on Saturday at UC Berkeley. The all-day event will feature student activist training, interactive break-out sessions, and a chance to hear from some of the most dedicated advocates for life rights.
Other speakers will include the Rev. Walter Hoye of Issues4Life, who is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence for violating Oakland's 'bubble ordinance' outside an abortion clinic; Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life of America; Gregg Cunningham, executive director of the Center for Bioethical Reform; and Gianna Jessen, an abortion survivor.
