All abortions dropped in 2007, while nearly half of all abortions continue to be done on out-of-state women

Topeka, KS – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDH&E) has released its final report of abortion statistics for 2007, showing that post-viability abortions have decreased a dramatic 23% over 2006 numbers.

“In 2007, Operation Rescue hosted three prayer events focusing on Tiller’s abortion business, one of which was attended by over 1,000 people over three days. We believe the drop in that year’s abortion numbers is a direct answer to those prayers,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “We wanted to extend special thanks to everyone across the nation who has participated in our events, prayed for us, and contributed to our work.”

Tiller was charged with 19 criminal counts of committing illegal late-term abortions on June 28, 2007. Tiller’s abortion clinic, Women’s Health Care Services, was then closed for a record total of 38 days in July and August of 2007.

The KDH&E reports that overall in 2007, abortions in Kansas decreased by 3.82% over 2006 numbers.

Nearly half (48%) of all Kansas abortions were done on out-of-state women. Of abortions done at 22 weeks gestation or older, 91% were done on out-of-state women.

“These numbers make abortions in Kansas a national issue, not just a state problem,” said Newman.

Abortions in Kansas rose steadily until 2002, when Operation Rescue relocated its national headquarters here and began exposing problems at Tiller’s abortion mill. Since then abortions have declined in number ever year except 2006, when the closure of abortion clinics in neighboring states contributed to a slight increase in early abortions in Kansas.

However, since OR’s arrival in 2002, post-viability abortions have steadily decreased. The 2007 post-viability abortions statistics represent a stunning 54% drop over five years. Late abortions are the most lucrative for Tiller, reportedly costing between $5,000 and $20,000 each.

“While we still have much work to do, it is more than appropriate to take time this Thanksgiving and show appreciation to God for the lives that have been saved and for the work that He has done here through Operation Rescue and those who support our work,” said Newman.

Los Angeles, CA – Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Los Angles on December 1, 2008, in the trial of Bertha Bugarin, an abortion chain owner who is charged with 18 felony counts of committing abortions without a medical license. If convicted, she could face over 15 years in jail.

Bugarin also faces 10 felonies and one misdemeanor in San Diego County for the same offense. Bugarin had a hearing in that case earlier this month, and she is scheduled for trail in San Diego sometime next year.

Bugarin once owned the Clinica Medica Para La Mujer De Hoy chain of seedy abortion clinics that targeted Hispanic areas of Los Angeles and San Diego Counties. Her targeting of these neighborhoods was to prey on women who might be illegal, desperate, and have no ability to report shoddy care to the authorities. At its height of prosperity, the chain ran eleven clinics, but problems with the incompetent abortionists hired by Bugarin troubled the chain.

Nicholas Braemer, the medical director, surrendered his medical license under pressure in 2000 after Operation Rescue exposed his numerous botched abortions and other problems. He was replaced as medical director by Laurence Reich, a convicted sex offender, who lost his medical license in 2006 for continued episodes of sexual abuse against his abortion patients. He was again arrested last February for continuing to commit abortions without a license at Bugarin’s Panorama City mill.

Numerous other Bugarin abortionists also lost their medical licenses or were disciplined for harming women during abortions.

Under pressure from Operation Rescue, Bugarin began gradually closing clinics. In the end, in order to keep her lucrative and predatory abortion business open, she resorted to doing the abortions herself, even though she had no medical background or training.

With the closure of the Chula Vista location over the summer, four abortion mills remain, now under the control of troubled abortionist Nolan Jones, who has a long history of disciplinary action taken against his license.

“We have worked long to bring Bugarin to justice. Her attitude was that she was above the law and could get away with anything, which is so common in the abortion industry,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “To abortionists like that, laws are meant to be broken. The only way to stop them from continuing to hurt women and illegally kill babies is to put them behind bars.”

Wichita, KS – On this fourth day of a hearings on a motion to dismiss 19 criminal charges against late-term abortionist George Tiller, former Assistant Attorney General Steve Maxwell testified in court about his role in an investigation of abortion clinics during Phill Kline’s tenure as Attorney General. That investigation resulted in the procurement of abortion records from Tiller’s Women’s Health Care Services (WHCS). Evidence in those records was used by Kline’s successor, Paul Morrison as the basis for the current charges against Tiller.

Maxwell seemed to have left Monnat miffed after repeatedly correcting him about information in his questions that was innacurate or not factual.

Maxwell was questioned by Tiller’s attorney, Dan Monnat, about a subpoena served on the La Quinta Inn for records of travelers who may have been patients of WHCS. Tiller referred patients to the La Quinta Inn in Wichita because he had an arrangement with the hotel at that time for his patients to receive special discounts.

La Quinta Inns later terminated their business relationship with Tiller after Operation Rescue documented and reported to the hotel chain’s corporate headquarters that Tiller was using the hotel as an annex of his abortion clinic. Tiller had stabled abortion workers there overnight to monitor women during the labor, and sometimes delivery, of his patients’ dead babies, which had been killed by lethal injection to the heart at the beginning of the abortion procedure.

Maxwell testified that La Quinta Inn records were subpoenaed so that they could find the names of pregnant children under the age of 16 who may have been patients of WHCS so they could match the name of the child with the SRS records to see if child sexual abuse was being reported.

Maxwell indicated that he believes that no patient was ever identified through the records obtained from the La Quinta Inn.

Maxwell was questioned about the transfer of abortion records obtained from Tiller from the Attorney General’s office to the Johnson County District Attorney’s office, where Kline was moving as the new D.A. Maxwell testified that when he prepared the status report for Judge Anderson about the location of the abortion files, he did not know that the Tiller records were being transferred to the Johnson County D.A.’s office.

“In the end, whether or not Kline had a copy of the Tiller records is irrelevant to the current charges against Tiller,” said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger, who has been present during the entire hearing. “None of what we have heard so far has changed the fact that the Attorney General’s office found evidence that Tiller had committed 19 counts of illegal late-term abortions. The merits of those charges are not even a subject of these hearings, and deserve their day in court.”

The hearing has been continued until January 6, 7, and 8, 2009. At that time testimony is expected from former Attorney General Paul Morrison. Former Attorney General Phill Kline is also expected to complete his testimony that was interrupted due to scheduling conflicts.