PRESS RELEASE

(10/31/2006)

Threat to Young Girls' Safety Exposed by Secret Tapes

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct. 31 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Yes on 85 campaign today released transcripts of five secretly-recorded conversations to abortion clinics by a caller identifying herself as a 13-year-old girl with a 22- year-old boyfriend seeking an abortion without the knowledge of her parents. Under California law, the girl would be the victim of the crime of statutory rape. The tapes reveal that abortion clinic employees repeatedly try to help the girl find ways around reporting the crime – and offer suggestions on how the teen can keep her parents in the dark, with no concern for her status as a victim of sexual abuse. They only warn her that her parents might find out – if they get a call from the hospital.

That is why proponents of Proposition 85 have urged voters to approve the Parents’ Right to Know & Child Protection Initiative, which would protect young girls from this fate. Opponents have argued that young girls would be placed in danger if Proposition 85 passes, but these tapes show just the opposite -- that the real danger is that child predators can take girls as young as 12 to an abortion clinic, and the clinic will go out of its way to keep secret not only the abortion, but also the crime.

After all is said and done, two central questions emerge for California voters: Do parents have a right to know when their daughter is undergoing a surgical procedure, one that could end up with her in a hospital emergency room? And who cares more about a young girl’s safety and well-being – her parents or abortion clinic workers?

The transcripts of the tapes that follow are among 93 tapes available on the Yes on 85 website: www.yeson85.net. The tapes are numbered for easy reference.

(1) “Don’t mention your partner is that old” Antioch, California, Tape No. 546

CALLER: Okay. Well do you know -- I'm just really worried about all this because like, well I'm going to be 14 in March, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents I'm getting an abortion. But my boyfriend's 22. Is that old enough to take care of it and they wouldn't have to tell anybody about anything?

CLINIC: Oh, God. Your boyfriend's 22?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: Umm. Yeah. Hold on, please.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: No, you'll be fine. It's just going to be a problem if you let them know that your partner is over 21, because that is against the law.

CALLER: Why is it against the law?

CLINIC: Because you, you know, it's not -- if he's over 21 and you're under 18 and you're having intercourse it's just -- you don't know about that law in California?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Yeah. You need to get informed about that. So just don't let them know, but you don't have to have your parents know. You don't have to have them know that you're getting a procedure in Concord, okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: So you're protected by the right of privacy, but don't mention your partner is that old, okay?

(2) “When you come in here, you cannot disclose what your partner's age is.” Santa Maria, California, Tape No. 307

CALLER: And you guys wouldn't have to tell my parents or anything? My boyfriend is 22, and he's a great guy. It's just my parents hate him, and they can't find out at all.

CLINIC: When you come in here, you cannot disclose what your partner's age is.

(3) “As long as you don't tell us, everything's fine.”San Luis Obispo, California, Tape No. 379

CALLER: I'm just really scared because my friend told me that, well, I'll be 14 in March, and she said that my parents would have to know. But my boyfriend's 22. Could he just sign whatever, and you guys wouldn't have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: Well, we don't need to know how old your boyfriend is first of all.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: -- because it sounds like we would have to report it.

CALLER: What do you mean report it? Who would you have to report it to?

CLINIC: Because he's over 18 and you're 14. So as long as you don't tell us, everything's fine. And we don't need your parent's consent, and we don't need his consent either.

(4) “So if you can hide that from your mom and your dad then you're fine.”San Bernardino, California, Tape No. 163

CALLER: Well, I just can't let my parents know at all.

CLINIC: That's why I'm letting, that's why I'm telling you, you -- it's kind of hard for girls to hide it from their parents because you have to take medication and you have to --

CALLER: Oh. Well, so what should I do?

CLINIC: I mean, we'll be more than happy to help you here, but I'm just trying to let you know what to watch out for because you don't want your parents to know.

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: And you will be going home with paperwork.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: Okay? So if you can hide that from your mom and your dad then you're fine.

(5) “They don't say that you're at Planned Parenthood having an abortion.” Encinitas, California, Tape No. 158

CALLER: Oh. But you guys won't tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. But the thing is, in case of an emergency since you're a minor, we had to send you to the hospital, we need to notify your parents, but we don't -- CALLER: But they can't find out at all.

CLINIC: Well, the thing is, in cases of an emergency and we had to send you to the hospital, the hospital will notify your parents.

CALLER: Well, why can't my boyfriend just take care of it?

CLINIC: Well, the thing is, if you are a minor under 18 by law the hospital has to notify your parents regardless if you're there with your boyfriend, if you're there with your grandmother. If you're a minor under 18 and something was to happen to you, automatically wherever you go they have to contact your parents. They don't say that you're at Planned Parenthood having an abortion. They just say you're at the hospital for, you know. I just want you to be aware of that.