Insane New Republican Bill Would Send Women to Jail for Having Abortions After Rape
Last week we saw a flurry of news articles about Republicans being taught how to talk about rape, because the victim-blaming thing just wasn’t working out as they’d hoped.
Well, they’ve still got a lot of work to do if they plan to hide their sickness; case in point, New Mexico Republican Rep. Cathrynn Brown (yes, a woman), who is introducing a bill that would send women to jail if they get an abortion after being raped.
And the rationale for this insane bill is even worse. The same Republicans who preach about the “sanctity of life” are calling terminating a rape-caused pregnancy “tampering with evidence.”
These people are really not right in the head.
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for “tampering with evidence.”
“Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime,” the bill says.
Third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Rep. Brown explained further that her only intention — really, honest — is to “protect” women.
Brown said in a statement Thursday that she introduced the bill with the goal of punishing the person who commits incest or rape and then procures or facilitates an abortion to destroy the evidence of the crime.
“New Mexico needs to strengthen its laws to deter sex offenders,” said Brown. “By adding this law in New Mexico, we can help to protect women across our state.”