Young Girls' Bodies 'Designed' to Carry Babies—Anti-Abortion Activist

Ohio anti-abortion activist Laura Strietmann was bashed by Democratic State Representative Jessica Miranda after she addressed the rape of a 10-year-old girl by saying that, while the child's pregnancy "might have been difficult, [...] a woman's body is designed to carry life."

Ohio Republicans held hearings this week for multiple bills trying to block a ballot proposal that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The measure, which could get to the ballot in November, would ask voters to approve an amendment to the Ohio constitution that would protect abortion rights until viability, the point when a fetus can survive outside the womb.

At one such hearing on Tuesday, Strietmann, head of Cincinnati Right to Life, brought up the case of a 10-year-old rape victim who was forced to travel to Indiana to get an abortion last July because the Ohio ban on abortion doesn't include an exception for rape.

"While a pregnancy might have been difficult on a 10-year-old body, a woman's body is designed to carry life. That is a biological fact," Strietmann said, adding that, on the other hand, a woman's body is "not designed to have disgusting death instruments remove her pre-born child from her womb."

Strietmann accused the mother of the 10-year-old girl of not reporting the rape and "permitting this," an assertion that Miranda quickly disproved.

"That is simply untrue," the Democrat said. "It was reported. So let us not continue to spread disinformation, time and time again, about certain families' personal issues that they have dealt with. In terms of a 10-year-old rape victim being raped and child sexual abuse, I take extreme offense to that on behalf of the family and the poor 10-year-old who was subjected in that way to be raped at such a young tender age."

In Ohio, abortion has remained legal until up to 20 weeks' gestation thanks to a judge's order last October that challenged a ban on the practice once cardiac activity is detected.

The case of the 10-year-old girl from Columbus who had to travel across state lines to Indiana to get an abortion almost a year ago became the focus of a heated political debate around abortion in Ohio and the entire country. Many Democrats pointed to the event as proof of the damage caused by the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last summer.

"Rape is a horrible tragedy that no one should have to go through and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Cincinnati Right to Life said in a statement to Newsweek. "Right now, there is a heated debate in Ohio over an amendment which, if it passes, would mean any young girl in this situation would have fewer protections against her abuser. It was purposely drafted by the ACLU, an organization with a long history of pushing anti-parent policies, to strip away parents' rights to know about—and be involved in—life-altering decisions affecting their child like an abortion. This is what I was testifying about. Cincinnati Right to Life believes in the protection of every human being which is why we are committed to protecting children, women and parents in defeating the Ohio amendment."

In response to a request for comment by Newsweek, the ACLU said: "Despite what they claim, extremist groups like Right to Life don't advance parents' rights; they in fact want to deny parents the ability to help secure reproductive care for their children.

"This amendment does nothing that would prevent a parent from learning about or reporting a rape, or helping their child who was raped. In fact it does the opposite: The amendment is needed so that the parents of a 10-year-old rape victim could have helped her access health care in our state. Without the protection of the Reproductive Freedom amendment, families in this situation could not get care. (And we're not only talking about that one child—there were several very young rape victims whose parents could not help them get needed abortions in Ohio last summer, when the so-called Heartbeat Bill was in effect.)"

The group added: "Not only do these groups want to deny parents the ability to care for their children. If they have their way, they would take this heath care option away from everyone."

The rape trial linked to the case is expected to take place in July 2023.

Update, 4/25/2023 4:25 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from Cincinnati Right to Life.

Update, 4/26/2023 3:55 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from ACLU.