Video triggers calls for investigation of abortionist

By Gina Loudon

Editor's Note: The graphic descriptions and images here may be upsetting to readers.

Authorities in Texas are calling for a formal investigation of an abortionist after reports surfaced that he was in the practice of killing babies born alive by twisting off their heads or shoving a surgical instrument into their brains.

"In a week when serial murderer Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of killing babies, I read with disgust about the allegations [against] Houston-based abortionist Douglas Karpen," said Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a statement.

"The Harris County authorities should perform a full-scale investigation and take action against those who broke state law," Dewhurst said.

The outrage follows the release this week by the Texas-based Life Dynamics of a video with accusations from three women who worked for Karpen.

The women explain that the abortionist sometimes would twist the baby's head off his neck, shove a surgical instrument into the vulnerable baby's brain through the skull, or shove a surgical instrument into the chest or abdomen.

The interview featuring Deborah Edge, Krystal Rodriguez and Gigi Aguilar provided proof, Life Dynamics said, "the lofty rhetoric of 'choice' may insulate those who work in the political and public relations arena, but the day-to-day reality for those who provide those 'choices' is to deal with the corpses and parts of corpses they pull out of their customers' bodies."

Mark Crutcher, the founder of Life Dynamics, said, "While the pro-life movement claims that abortion takes the life of a living human being, nobody on earth knows that better than the people who work at abortion clinics."

Said Edge: "I thought, well, it's an abortion you know, that's what he does, but I wasn't aware that it was illegal. … Most of the time we would see him where the fetus would come completely out and of course, the fetus would still be alive.

"He does a lot of huge abortions. A lot of the times, we would bring the big fetus[es] that were over age, we would re-open the bag and just look at it and be like, 'Oh my gosh, it's so big!'"

Life Dynamics said: "Simply put, this is abortion!"

The release of the video came just as Gosnell, who was convicted in Philadelphia of first-degree murder for cutting the spinal columns of babies born alive during his abortion procedures, was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison. He avoided the death penalty by agreeing not to appeal.

"During Gosnell's trial, it became clear that organizations like Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and others within the pro-choice community were fully aware of what Gosnell was doing. But they kept quiet because this was a rock they did not want the public looking under. What they knew, and wanted to keep hidden, was that everything being done at this abortion clinic was within the standard operating procedures for every other abortion clinic in the country. So they, and their lapdogs in the media, started whistling past the graveyard," Crutcher said.

The new video:

Carrie Williams of the Department of State Health Services told the Houston Chronicle the agency was aware of the allegations and "we are investigating."

And Sara Marie Kinney of the Harris County District Attorney's office told WND people are planning a "full scale investigation."

"For nearly three years, authorities have ignored our complaints and done nothing while horrific late-term babies continued to be aborted in an apparently illegal and barbaric manner. Now, thanks to the outpouring of public pressure that has been brought to bear by the pro-life community, the authorities in Texas are finally beginning to act. It's a big step in the right direction," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We hope this time they will follow through and that justice will be done."

The Life Dynamics video itself explains: "Although the media, in concert with the American abortion lobby, is portraying this [Gosnell] as an isolated situation … the pro-life movement has been aware of similar stories for years and, today, additional examples are beginning to emerge."

The interviews were conducted May 3.

Edge reported: "On many occasions … we would see the fetus breathing, the stomach moving. Then he would snip the spine."

The women told how when the abortionist would use a "claw" to reach into the womb and dismember or otherwise kill the baby, the baby's toes would go rigid and spread apart from the pain.

That, the workers explained, was so disturbing to them they had to avert their eyes.

"If they don't feel … why would those toes spread open?" they asked.

There was, however, no obstacle to abortion at any time, they said.

"As long as the patients had the cash he was going to do it," they said.

Florida question

WND reported recently when a related issue arose in Florida:

A lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion business in the United States, said a doctor and a mother should be allowed to decide to kill a newborn who survives an abortion.

The Planned Parenthood comments came at a recent Florida legislative hearing from Alisa LaPoit Snow, who was opposing a proposal that would require a doctor to provide care to an infant whom an abortion failed to kill.

Lawmakers were stunned, asking the same question over and over.

"So, it is just really hard for me to even ask you this question because I'm almost in disbelief," said Rep. Jim Boyd. "If a baby is born on a table as a result of a botched abortion, what would Planned Parenthood want to have happen to that child that is struggling for life?"

Snow's response?

"We believe that any decision that's made should be left up to the woman, her family, and the physician."

In the Florida hearing, the same, or very similar, questions followed several times, as if the lawmakers could not believe the position advocated by Snow.

"You stated that a baby born alive on a table as a result of a botched abortion, that that decision should be left to the doctor and the family. Is that what you're saying?" asked Rep. Jose Oliva.

Snow didn't change her response.

"That decision should be between the patient and the health care provider," she said.

When one lawmaker suggested at that point the "patient" also would include the newborn, Snow responded: "That's a very good question. … I would be glad to have some more conversations with you about this."