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WASHINGTON (June 22, 2004) -- Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Esq., spokesperson for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, made the following statement today:
"Testimony in recent federal trials concerning the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act highlighted the fact that unborn children experience severe pain during abortions at 20 weeks and beyond. It also revealed that women are kept in the dark about this important information.
An exchange between Judge Richard Casey of the Southern District of New York and one abortion doctor witness is illustrative:
Q: Do you tell [the woman] whether or not it will hurt the fetus?
A: The intent [is] that the fetus will die during the process of uterine evacuation.
Q: Ma'am, I didn't ask you that, you will deliver the baby partially and then insert a pair of scissors in the base of the fetus' skull…Do you tell them whether or not that hurts the fetus?
A: I have never talked to a fetus about whether or not they experience pain.
According to a pain specialist at the trials, Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand, there will be pain caused to the unborn child, and 'it will be severe and excruciating pain.'
"Women deserve to know the truth about this," she said.
Cathy Cleaver Ruse participated in a press conference conducted by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and cosponsors of the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR442) featuring Dr. Jean Wright, fetal pain expert, to respond to the closing arguments in the New York trial on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.