WASHINGTON, DC - A young girl from Ohio who was sexually abused by her father pleaded with Planned Parenthood for help. Instead, she was sent home with her abuser.
She's just one of the victims included in a new report from Live Action that documents systemic negligence by the taxpayer-funded abortion giant.
At a press conference Thursday, pro-life advocates and US representatives came together to urge the Department of Health and Human Services to open an investigation into Planned Parenthood for "enabling child sex abuse."
The new report by the pro-life group Live Action documents 10 years of evidence that alleges Planned Parenthood knowingly ignores cases of sexual abuse involving minors and performs abortions anyway without alerting authorities.
CBN News reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment. The company had not responded at the time of publication of this article.
"What these abusers do, what sexual traffickers do to their victims is take them by force to abortion facilities," said Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, at Thursday's press conference. "And Planned Parenthood, instead of reporting the abuse, does a secret abortion under a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and sends a vulnerable girl back into the arms of their abuser."
According to Live Action, $1.5 million per day in taxpayer money goes directly to Planned Parenthood, which performs roughly 900 abortions daily.
The report points out that 500 Planned Parenthood clinics across the country receive funding through the Title X Family Planning Program, which is a federal law that also mandates recipients report cases of child abuse. However, Live Action says clinics aren't doing so.
"Planned Parenthood does not empower women and their children, it empowers their abusers," said Rep. Diane Black (R-TN).
She continued, "In one case a victim admitted that her abuser took her there because they, quote, 'don't ask questions.'"
Statistics show nearly 70- percent of human trafficking victims had at least one abortion at a clinic during their captivity.
"Are these lives not important to Planned Parenthood?" asked Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC).
Nearly 60 members of Congress signed a letter asking the secretary of health to look into this problem. They're also pushing for new regulations on groups like Planned Prenthood that receive millions of dollars of federal funds, beefing up requirements to report abuse.
"This report exposes the culture of cover-up within Planned Parenthood," said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). "I find their complicity absolutely appauling."
Pro-life lawmakers are now hoping the new report will not only open an investigation but sway some of their colleagues to defund the organization.
"It comes down to votes," said Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO). "In the House, we have repeatedly voted to not fund Planned Parenthood, but in the Senate it hasn't moved forward, so I hope this report will help."
On the Senate side, some Republicans say the new report is cause for an investigation of Planned Parenthood.
Clinics like Planned Parenthood are required to report suspected sexual abuse. Their continued failure to ensure the safety of clients, specifically minors, is horrific. This failure is why my colleagues & I want an investigation.https://t.co/bVfoHsSQtT
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) June 7, 2018
"It's all of our voice together that are going to make a difference and we've got to be loud to get the message through," said Rep. Black. "The despicable cycle of these facilities turning a blind eye has got to end."
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