Witness in Notorious Late-Term Abortionist Case Breaks Silence (Abbreviated Title)

LifeSiteNews ^ | 6/13/07 | John Jalsevac

[wagglebee]

Renowned Psychiatrist Witness in Notorious Late-Term Abortionist Case Breaks Silence: Threatened by Kansas Attorney General

Attorney general claims he contacted psychiatrist, which psychiatrist denies

By John Jalsevac

TOPEKA, Kansas, June 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A respected psychiatrist who was to be one of the primary witnesses against the infamous late-term abortionist George Tiller has broken his silence about the case, claiming that Kansas’ new attorney general failed to contact him, despite a supposed in-depth investigation into the case conducted by the attorney general.

“I expected to be contacted by someone,” said Dr. Paul McHugh, a graudate of Harvard, who was the chairman of psychiatry at John Hopkins University from 1977-2000. Instead of waiting any longer, however, the psychiatrist chose to come forward and make his professional findings public, believing that they are of significant import to the case.

In a taped interview that is available on Youtube (see link below story) Dr. McHugh claims that, based upon his detailed study of the case files of the various women who received late-term abortions from Tiller, there was not one single case of late-term abortion that could be remotely justified under Kansas law. 

“Did you see any one file that justified a late-term abortion by demonstrating that she would suffer substantial and irreversible harm?” McHugh is asked by the interviewer in the video. He responded, “I saw no file that justified abortion on that basis.”      

“I had to ask myself, looking at these records, ‘Is any person who comes to this clinic found not to be appropriate on psychological or psychiatric grounds for abortion?’” said McHugh, who pointed out that some of the abortions were justified on the basis of the psychological distress the young woman would suffer from not being able to go to sporting events, or to concerts.

McHugh also claims that the psychiatric evaluations that the women received prior to having their child aborted was inadequate, at best. “I would describe it (the psychiatric analysis) as brief, symptom-only based, and unsubstantiated in its prognosis on the basis of a rich detailed study of the young woman and her potentials,” claims McHugh, continuing, “If you’re going to take a life on the basis of a psychiatric examination, in my opinion, and I think the opinion of most psychiatrists, this requires a serious understanding of the full biography of the person, as well as the place where they are at the moment, the context in which this has happened.”

Dr. McHugh was originally contacted by former Attorney General Phil Kline, who asked the renowned psychiatrist to look at the records pertaining to George Tiller’s case, and to determine if he believed the women who received late-term abortions from Tiller were in any serious medical danger on account of their pregnancy. Kansas law limits abortion to under 23 weeks gestation, unless there is “irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.”

Former Attorney General Kline had launched an investigation that led to 30 misdemeanor charges against Tiller, accusing him of conducting 15 illegal late-term abortions in 2003, on women and girls ranging in age from 10 to 22. Those charges, however, were subsequently dismissed based upon a technicality having to do with jurisdiction.

Kline’s successor Paul Morrison, promised to also conduct an investigation into the matter, and, according to Operation Rescue, claims to have hired a full-time assistant attorney-general for the purpose of conducting the investigation.

Six months later, however, little seems to have happened with the investigation, and one of the primary witnesses against Tiller claims to not have even been contacted by the attorney general’s office. “I have to wonder what kind of half-baked investigation Morrison is conducting if he hasn’t even bothered to contact one of the main witnesses against Tiller,” said Operation Rescue Senior Policy Advisor Cheryl Sullenger.

Yesterday the whole affair became even more convoluted and controversial after Attorney-General Morrison issued a letter to Dr. McHugh, in which the attorney general threatens the psychiatrist with legal action for publicly talking about the case, and claims that in fact his office did contact McHugh. The attorney general also claims that by speaking about the case McHugh is violating the privacy of the women who obtained the abortions, although McHugh never mentions any one woman by name in his taped interview.

“Again, we hereby demand that you case and desist from all public comment about your work in this case,” says the letter from Morrison. “Should you continue to make such statements, our office will pursue all available remedies.”

Due to the letter, McHugh cancelled a scheduled appearance at a public panel discussion, during which he was to speak about the case. According to witnesses, McHugh did arrive at the event and was greeted by a standing ovation, but informed the packed house that he would respect Morrison's request and refrain from making further statements.

“He (Morrison) is the attorney general, and I don’t wish to fly in the face of the attorney general,” he told those gathered to hear him speak.

McHugh, however, reportedly strenuously denies that Morrison’s office ever contacted him, as the attorney general claims in his letter.

“Dr. McHugh was gentleman enough not to call Morrison a liar, but he strongly indicated to me that the conversation Morrison referred to in his letter did not happen," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who helped escort Dr. McHugh into the meeting room and briefly addressed the audience. "That letter was full of flat-out bold-faced lies meant to intimidate Dr. McHugh into silence, break up last night's meeting, and attack the character of one of the nation's most highly-respected experts in the field of psychiatry.”

Attorney-General Morrison has indicated that he will likely make a decision about whether or not to charge George Tiller by the end of this month.

See the taped interview with Dr. McHugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mviFMpy_sBU&eurl=http%3A%...

Read the letter from Attorney-General Morrison:
http://operationrescue.org/pdfs/MorrisonThreat061207.pdf

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Judge Who Dismissed Charges Against Notorious Abortionist Concealed Financial Ties with Tiller
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/mar/07032307.html

Tiller may Face Grand Jury in Death of Christin Gilbert
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/apr/06040604.html

Charges Against Notorious Late-term Abortionist Tiller Won’t be Reinstated
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/feb/07021505.html

O'Reilly Factor Does Hard-Hitting Exposé of Kansas Late-Term Abortionis
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07053106.html

Resolution Demanding Charges Against Late-Term Abortionist Tiller Passes Kansas House Committee
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/mar/07032704.html

New Kansas Attorney General Immediately Fires Prosecutor of Abortionist Tiller
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07011107.html

Kansas Voters Let Abortionist, George “Tiller the Killer”, Possibly Avoid Criminal Investigation
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/nov/06110904.html

Kansas Abortionist Killed Late-Term Babies for “Maternal Depression”: Fox News
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/nov/06110606.html

Kansas Investigation into Child Rape Blocked by Two Secret Abortion Clinics
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05022505.html

Abortion Clinic Caught Shredding Documents as Kansas Court Considers Mandating Records Release
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/sep/05090601.html

"I Left My Dead Baby In The Toilet" - Former Patient of Abortionist Tells O'Reilly Factor
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/dec/06121304.html

Woman Dies after being Rushed from George "the Killer" Tiller's Late-Term Abortion Mill
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jan/05012711.html

Kansas Abortion Clinic Sends Another Woman to Hospital Weeks After Reported Death
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05021802.html

Canada Sending Women to Kansas for Late Term Abortions by Controversial Abortionist "Tiller the Killer"
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/sep/04091001.html

[wagglebee]

This is an obscene miscarriage of justice!

[wagglebee]

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[wagglebee]

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[pandoraou812]

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[mad puppy]

I would also be interested in a study that talked to these same females who had the late-term abortions maybe two years after. I have yet to meet a woman who is at peace with their decision, though most won’t even discuss it.

[SkyPilot]

I have yet to meet a woman who is at peace with their decision, though most won’t even discuss it.

I have, but only those who have sought forgiveness from Christ have it.

[TigersEye]

If you think NJ is corrupt you don’t know Kansas.

[pandoraou812]

I don’t want to either. NJ is bad enough.. You know how I feel about Tiller the Killer... I just want to know why the WBC isn’t camped outside of his clinic. Makes me wonder....~P~

[TigersEye]

Oh, I think the easy answer to that is they are cowards. If they picketed somebody like Tiller they’d end up in the bottom of a stock pond somewhere. Better press when you insult fallen warriors too. Those commie talking heads love that.

[Coleus]

.

[darkangel82]

Maybe the psychiatrist can lock Tiller up in the psycho ward.

[syriacus]

Thanks for posting this, wagglebee.

[cpforlife.org]

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[MountainFlower]

WOW! Thanks for all the links and the thread, wagglebee!

Where is ACLJ in this? Have they been contacted? Let them bring on the threats to prosecute him...it is just a threat to shut him up.

[MountainFlower]

ping

[Scotswife]

I’m not sure if I know women who have made “peace” with it, but I do know a few who have said “given the chance to go back I would still make the same decision.”

[MHGinTN]

Look to the Governor of Kansas. The people of Kansas in a majority number want this woman running their state and thus want this woman protecting the serial killer, Tiller. Tiller contributes from his blood money to the political campaigns of beings like the current governor thus he gets what he pays for, protection. Kansans want this to continue, end of story. Alive unborn sensing children will continue to be slaughtered in Tiller’s aboruary because the people of Kansas favor protecting him and the serial killings. Sorry, end of story, may God have mercy on those in Kansas who still fear the Lord.

[California Patriot]

“End of story” is exactly the attitude the thugs want us to have. It is NEVER the end of the story. We have to keep fighting.

[MHGinTN]

Tell that to the majority in Kans ass who want this in their state. Evil has to have people willing to ‘live with it’ ... Kansans are fine with living with it so the gobinor gets her blood money from Tiller the serial killer and gets elected to run the state. End of story

[MHGinTN]

If the people of Kans ass wanted this evil in their midst stopped, they would stop it. They tolerate it so they have in their midst a bloody serial killer protected by the governor whom they elected.