New suit in Ohio makes it clear: Forcing minors to carry their rapists’ fetuses is not ‘pro-life’

Some details of this article link to and include graphic descriptions of sexual assault, including sexual violence against minor victims, and may be triggering for some readers.

A lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, against Ohio Attorney General David Yost seeks to end the state’s extreme abortion law. The suit, filed by Preterm-Cleveland on behalf of multiple unnamed plaintiffs, cites numerous affidavits from minors who were made pregnant by sexual assault but unable to access abortion care, as well as pregnant adults who were refused abortion care, resulting in dangerous medical emergencies and in at least two cases, having to pause chemotherapy at the risk of felony charges.  

The Ohio Capital Journal reports the affidavits were successful in at least temporarily pausing the abortion law and extending the pause to Oct. 14. The suit ultimately intends to find Ohio’s “heartbeat ban” unconstitutional.

Daily Kos reported in July about the case of a 10-year-old sexual assault survivor who was forced to leave the state and travel to a physician in Indiana for a legal abortion. At the time, many in the GOP denied the veracity of the story, and Yost threatened to investigate the Indiana doctor who ultimately provided the child’s abortion care across state lines.

RELATED STORY: Right-wingers need to apologize to the 10-year-old rape victim for denying her story