The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation today called for a thorough investigation into the tragic death of a woman who underwent an abortion at the office of a West Philadelphia abortionist. The probe of Dr. Kermit B. Gosnell should also focus on whether illegal late-term abortions were performed at his facility.
“This horrendous tragedy raises numerous questions about the safety of the Women’s Medical Society in Powelton Village,” said Michael Ciccocioppo, executive director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the state affiliate of National Right to Life.
“How many women’s lives have been put in jeopardy at this center and at other abortion centers across our state?”
According to a report from the Associated Press, state authorities suspended Gosnell’s license as a result of “deplorable and unsanitary” conditions at his facility. The bodies of dozens of aborted preborn children were discovered in jars and blood was found on the floor. Under Pennsylvania’s landmark Abortion Control Act, abortions after 24 weeks are illegal in Pennsylvania unless the pregnancy poses a grave threat to the mother.
“State authorities have determined that the continued medical practice of Dr. Gosnell would pose an immediate and clear danger to public health and safety. But how long have these threatening conditions existed inside the walls of his abortion center? And how many other Pennsylvania abortionists are violating the law? The women of the Commonwealth deserve answers,” Ciccocioppo said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Matthew Baker (R—Bradford, Tioga), minority chair of the Pennsylvania House Health & Human Services Committee, questioned whether abortion facilities in the Commonwealth are being properly scrutinized.
“We’ve inspected the Capitol Cafeteria for its health violations, but are we properly inspecting abortion centers? This is a public health issue, and it deserves immediate attention. We can’t run the risk that another woman will die following an abortion at a Pennsylvania facility that is violating the most basic safety standards,” Rep. Baker said.