Partial-Birth Abortion Trial Updates

The following are excerpts taken from a 2004 Partial-Birth Abortion trial.
Click on the links below to read the excerpts from that day.

April 7, 2004

Q. Dr. Chasen, in your experience, how is the fetal head extracted in a dismemberment D&E?

A. The fetal head is extracted by placing the forceps around it and crushing it.

Q. How readily is that -- how easy is that to accomplish?

A. In some cases it is relatively easily accomplished and in other cases it is very difficult.

THE COURT: Does it hurt the baby?

THE WITNESS: I don't know.

THE COURT: But you go ahead and do it anyway, is that right?

THE WITNESS: I am taking care of my patients, and in that process, yes, I go ahead and do it.

THE COURT: Does that mean you take care of your patient and the baby be damned, is that the approach you have?

THE WITNESS: These women who are having [abortions] at gestational ages they are legally entitled to it --

THE COURT: I didn't ask you that, Doctor. I asked you if you had any caring or concern for the fetus whose head you were crushing.

THE WITNESS: No.

April 5, 2004

April 1,2004

March 30,2004

After an inspiring speech in which he claimed that the right to life cannot be granted or denied by government - because it does not come from government, but from the Creator of life - President Bush signed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban into law. Dr. & Mrs. Willke and Brad Mattes (President and Executive Director of Life Issues Institute) joined President Bush at the signing. Key members of congress were also present, including Steve Chabot (R-Ohio, sponsor of the bill in the house), and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania, sponsor of the bill in the Senate). Click here to read the text of President Bush's speech.

Partial birth abortion - which is killing a baby during delivery - is legally defined by the law as an abortion in which the baby is delivered "past the navel… outside the body of the mother," or "in the case of head-first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside of the body of the mother." It is the first national legislation that has been passed protecting the life of the baby from any method of abortion since it was legalized by the landmark Roe v. Wade case in 1973. Although the law does allow the method in cases of medical necessity, such claims have long been discredited.

"It is noted that studies have shown that at least 90% of these babies who have been killed are physically normal and that at least half would have survived if the doctor had delivered the head, cut the cord, and sent the baby to the nursery," according to Dr. Willke, president of Life Issues Institute. "The process of partial birth abortion is like a breech delivery. The entire infant is delivered except the head. A scissors is jammed into the base of the skull. A tube is inserted into the skull, and the brain is sucked out. The now-dead infant is pulled out."

Some information about Partial Birth Abortions, also called “brain suction” or
“D&X” methods.

• These are usually done after 5 months.
• 80% of babies are normal.
• Most babies are viable.

This is like a breech delivery. The entire infant is delivered except the head. A scissors is jammed into the base of the skull. A tube is inserted into the skull, and the brain is sucked out. The now-dead infant is pulled out. (The drawings illustrate this.) To read a more detailed description of this procedure, please click here.