A child who was the victim of incest was turned away from Florida abortion clinics under the state’s 15-week ban.
That story comes this week via Buzzfeed News, who spoke to representatives from a local chapter of Planned Parenthood. Florida’s controversial ban on abortions after 15 week does provide exceptions for saving the life of the mother and fetal abnormalities. However, it doesn’t have exemptions for cases of rape and incest, something that was pointed out repeatedly to Florida Republican legislators. They passed it anyway.
Planned Parenthood obviously did not share the identity of the child, However, they said that she was a middle schooler. Florida’s draconian abortion restrictions are still the most lax among neighboring states since the Supreme Court overturned precedent protecting rights to an abortion earlier this year. That meant the child in question had to travel two or three states away to receive the procedure.
“The cruelty of forcing a very young person, who has already survived a horrible case of violence, to give birth, it just takes away their rights to bodily autonomy, and it is really turning a blind eye to what is happening in our society,” Florida Planned Parenthood VP Laura Goodhue said.
Florida activists have regularly protested the repeal of abortion rights, with regular rallies taking place in downtown Orlando.