West Palm Beach woman charged over daughter's abortion

[Judi Lynn]

Published Thursday, May 26, 2005

West Palm Beach woman charged over daughter's abortion

The Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.
A woman has been charged with evidence tampering and child neglect after arranging an abortion for her 17-year-old daughter during an incest investigation.

The girl's 40-year-old stepfather was charged Friday with familial sexual battery. The 33-year-old mother also was arrested. Both are free on $5,000 bond. The girl and her sister have been placed in state custody.

Palm Beach County sheriff's detectives wanted to perform a paternity test on the fetus as part of the investigation, but they say the mother took her daughter to a Broward County clinic for an abortion without notifying them.

"She was protecting her daughter and her husband, thinking we would not have any evidence and would not be able to pursue it," sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said Wednesday.
(snip/...)

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050526/APN/505260616

[annabanana]

1. It sounds more like she NEVER protected her daughter...

Why the hell is the 17 year old in custody? Destroying evidence?

[truthisfreedom]

2. i don't think they mean she was arrested. i assume she's in protective

custody, but i didn't read the story.

[havocmom]

4. The mother failed to protect her daughter from sexual abuse from the

step father, is, I believe what is meant.

[BlueIris]

3. I hate everything.

Just wanted to share that somewhere.

[demo dutch]

5. Boy, Florida just can't seem stay out of the news!

[jwirr]

6. I suspect that the mother took the

daughter to have an abortion to destroy the DNA evidence against her husband/boy friend. In that case the state is highly justified in arresting her.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Protect the fetus at all costs... even in cases of incest!

The cops don't need a fetus to establish that incest had been committed. The victim's own statement is enough evidence, otherwise, children being victimized by a pedophile would have to get pregnant in order to show they were indeed molested.

The cops are lying! This is nothing more than the Xtian Taliban at work in Jebl Bush's holy land.

[rocktivity]

8. If the daughter didn't want the baby, what's the problem?

A fetus isn't evidence. Maybe someone else got her pregnant.

...a criminal defense lawyer...(said) investigators should have obtained a court order. "I don't think the mother under those circumstances is required to cooperate with police," he said.
Exactly. As long as the daughter wanted the abortion, and she had her mother's knowledge and consent, what's the problem? There is no case unless there's a fetus?

The girl claimed that her stepfather had impregnated her late last year, and authorities say he had another sexual encounter with her in April.
Late last year as in between October and December? Did she have another abortion then, or a late term abortion now?

:headbang:
rocknation

[LisaL]

9. Oh please. You know very well how important physical evidence

is when proving the crime has been committed. The girl's testimony is one thing. But having DNA as prove is quite another thing. If victim'
statement was enough, then there would be near 100% conviction in rape cases, and it's not the case at all.