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The leader of a Dutch Christian fundamentalist party has said that women who are raped seldom become pregnant. Asked whether he agreed with remarks by US congressman Todd Akin, who believes that women have a natural defence mechanism that prevents them from becoming pregnant if they are raped, SGP leader Kees van der Staaij said “that is a fact. It seldom happens.”
Van der Staaij’s remarks, made in the run-up to the general elections on September 12, caused a storm of protest, particularly from left-wing parties. Labour Party MP Jetta Klijnsma said she was “shocked” and urged van der Staaij to apologise to all women in the Netherlands. The Green Left leader Jolande Sap described the statements as “ridiculous. I’m afraid that a biology lesson wouldn’t be enough for him”.
The SGP strongly opposes abortion. According to van der Staaij, “we are, under all circumstances, for the unborn life”. But, he added, “even though the chances of becoming pregnant after being raped are small, the problems the victims face are enormous”. These women, he said, deserve to be treated with “a lot of compassion”.
Seven percent of women who are raped become pregnant, according to a study by a renowned Dutch institute on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Van der Staaij quoted a figure of 0,5 percent. One out of every 100 Dutch women between the ages of 15 and 70 has become pregnant as the result of sexual violence. Half of them had an abortion, 20% had a miscarriage, and the rest gave birth.
Figures from Statistics Netherlands indicate that 1580 women were raped in the Netherlands last year. 111 reportedly became pregnant. In this country, 28,000 abortions are carried out every year. Abortions were fully legalised in the Netherlands in 1984 and can be carried out till the 21st week of pregnancy.
Source: RNW 2012-08-29
These people are ridiculous. In what century are we living in? I thought we had passed this discussion many years ago. I feel that everybody who is effected should make her own choice. It’s bad enough to get in a situation like that, but have to listen to this self-proclaimed “experts” its more than one needs. I wish they could get pregnant when they get raped, I guess they wouldn’t tell funny stuff like that anymore.
These people certainly are ridiculous. What research do they cite to give a factual basis to their “opinions”? I worked for many years in child welfare services and can tell you from first hand experience that many children were raped by family members and family friends,even parents, and some gave birth to children. I knew of one child who was raped by her mother’s boyfriend and gave birth to a baby at the age of 9 years old. In these two “experts'” world that possibility would probably be totally inconceivable.
As for me -besides the nonsense of Van der Staaij- (the observation of Van der Staaij gives an insight into the rigid outlook of the political Reformed), even strikes the most is the fact that the very parties that would like to release rapists as soon as possible from the prisons and have them unleashed on fresh victims are precisely the ones that cream the loudest.
For vulgar electoral gain they suddenly stand up for raped girls and women. How sickly politically correct and hypocrite can one be.
Anyway: Van der Staaij is wrong and the impact on the victims is behind imagination however that is very seldom a part of the discussion; strange world.