(TW: Rape)
via HuffPo:
New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With Evidence'
So these New Mexico fundies have figured out that they can't prevent a woman from legally getting an abortion if she got pregnant the normal way, but by God maybe they can stop it if the pregnancy was the result of rape!
So, if someone has already been horrifically violated, if she has already had her bodily autonomy stolen from her in the worst possible way, the state of New Mexico will compound the violation by claiming jurisdiction over her uterus. Holy fuck! There are no words.
There's no point to this anyway. It's not like she would need to give birth to get DNA evidence. If the rape resulted in pregnancy, obviously the rapist left behind DNA which would be collected with the rape kit. Watch an episode of Law&Order SVU before drafting legislation!
What kind of woman-hating misogynist would propose such a bill?
House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."
God damn it, seriously?
What possible rationale could she possibly have for this?
"New Mexico needs to strengthen its laws to deter sex offenders,” said Brown. “By adding this law in New Mexico, we can help to protect women across our state.”
Except that it won't deter sex offenders.
What it might do is deter women from reporting rapes and pressing charges because they know that if they do, they will be forced to give birth to the rapist's child because "evidence."
The only thing that it might deter sex offenders from doing is using a condom because if they can impregnate their victim they know they have a much better chance that she won't have them prosecuted.
Every time you think the Religious Right/Tea Party/Republicans have sunk as low as it is possible to sink, they sink to a whole new level. There is a special place in Hell for people like this.
The good news is that there is virtually no way that this bill will ever pass, but once again they have shown their hand. This is who they are.
