MSNBC Warns Pro-Life Laws Could Silence Victims of Sexual Abuse

On Thursday’s Chris Jansing Reports, the eponymous MSNBC host wondered if pro-life laws will have “a chilling effect on rape victims” and her guests readily informed her that they will.

Ali Vitali (Capitol Hill correspondent) was speaking about the impact of Roe v. Wade’s demise could have on the midterms when she added, “I would also say when it comes to this really horrifying story out of Ohio, it does strike me that the knee-jerk reaction when you hear this kind of terror is to doubt the girl at the center of it. We have seen this time and again with women and in this case, someone who is not even of woman age yet being doubted in the press.”

 

 

Jansing turned then to Marty Schladen, of the Ohio Capital Journal and suggested the case could hurt Republicans, “Ten years old. Marty. Your reporting indicates that the Republicans might have seen it coming. It was inevitable that we would see such cases. In 2021 alone, Ohio saw over 6,000 cases for sexual abuse cases with the victims under 18, that’s according to the Ohio Network of Advocacy Centers. From what you’re seeing, could this be, potentially, political quicksand for local and state Republicans as well?”

Schladen declared it was possible and that despite all his questioning on the issue, “I’m not getting any answers.” No word on the overwhelming majority of abortions that are sought by adults for nothing more than convenience. 

Later, Jansing had another question for Schladen, “you talked to the head of a local pro-abortion rights group and she asks ‘what signal does that give to rape survivors across the state and the country?’ that these, this young girl was not believed. Does she fear this might have chilling effects on victims of rape? Even parents of young girls who are thinking of reporting a crime?” 

Nobody doubted the ten-year-old or her parents, they have not commented presumably because they are horrified at what happened to their daughter and don’t want to relive that through an endless avalanche of media inquiries and become political celebrities. Their existence was also doubted by the fact that there were basic journalistic issues that could have been overlooked. Washington Post This was due to the fact that the story was solely based upon Caitlin Bernard. She suddenly stopped talking when she was called by other media outlets to verify it.

Speaking of Bernard, Schladen replied with some sloppy reporting of his own, “Very definitely. It speaks to hostility, and it seems that this hostility may have increased. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news today, but the attorney general of Indiana is talking about going after the medical license of the doctor there, Caitlin Bernard, who initially reported this. I think the fear is that this is going to have a chilling effect up and down the line.”

Even though they blab about the crime, Indianapolis Star Bernard was not investigated in connection to the rape conviction of a 10-year old. Actually, it is the reverse.

Who really is causing the harm to victims of sexual abuse? Journalists and pro-lifers who fail to verify facts in dealing with politically charged issues such as abortion are not journalists. 

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The transcript of the show, July 14, is available here:

MSNBC Chris Jansing Reports

7/14/2022

12:00 PM ET

CHRIS JANSING: So Ali, do Democrats see this as a lifeline, essentially, ahead of the midterms? This is especially true when you consider extreme cases such as these. 

ALI VITALI: Yeah, I mean, look, Democrats have always, and as long as I have been on the campaign trail, reproductive rights have been, sort of, a guardrail in Democratic politics, but an untested one, Chris, because Democrats for a long time have talked about the potential for Republicans and conservatives to overturn Roe, but most voters never had to grapple with the idea that this could actually happen. 

Women for the last 49 years have never had to thought, think about whether or not they had a fundamental right to access abortion care. So, this is really an untested moment in politics as abortion has always been a galvanizing issue for voters, but now what we’re seeing in polling, is the idea that this is rising in the ranks for voters as they consider their top issues going into the midterms, which is exactly what Democrats want because they see it as a moment to try to energize an electorate that frankly Democrats badly needed to energize. 

I would also say when it comes to this really horrifying story out of Ohio, it does strike me that the knee-jerk reaction when you hear this kind of terror is to doubt the girl at the center of it. We have seen this time and again with women and in this case, someone who is not even of woman age yet being doubted in the press.

JANSING: This is the tenth anniversary. Marty. Your reporting implies that Republicans may have seen it coming. It was inevitable that we would see such cases. In 2021 alone, Ohio saw over 6,000 cases for sexual abuse cases with the victims under 18, that’s according to the Ohio Network of Advocacy Centers. From what you’re seeing, could this be, potentially, political quicksand for local and state Republicans as well? 

MARTYSCHLADEN : It’s possible. I think that the thing our state’s leaders don’t want to talk about what age should a woman or a girl be required to have her rapist’s baby? That’s a question I’ve asked several times and I’m not getting any answers to.

JANSING: And Marty beyond abortion rights there’s the secondary issue and actually Ali touched on it in her last answer because you talked to the head of a local pro-abortion rights group and she asks “what signal does that give to rape survivors across the state and the country?” that these, this young girl was not believed. Do you think this could have chilling effects on victims of rape? Are parents even concerned about their daughters’ ability to report a crime?

SCHLADEN This speaks volumes about hostility. In fact, I believe it has increased. I don’t know if you’ve seen the news today, but the attorney general of Indiana is talking about going after the medical license of the doctor there, Caitlin Bernard, who initially reported this. I think the fear is that this is going to have a chilling effect up and down the line. 

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