Sexual assault leaves deep wounds that can affect every part of a victim’s life. If you are a survivor, please know that what happened to you was wrong. You deserved to be safe, and you deserve compassion, support, and the opportunity to heal.
Rape is one of the most devastating acts of violence a person can endure. Survivors deserve justice, protection, and people who will walk beside them with understanding and care. When a pregnancy results from such a traumatic experience, it can bring overwhelming fear, confusion, grief, and uncertainty. Many women imagine pregnancy as a time shared with a loving husband and family. Facing pregnancy in the aftermath of violence can feel incredibly lonely and painful.
As Christians, we are called to respond to people in these situations with compassion. We should be the first to offer practical help, emotional support, community, counseling, and encouragement. Women who have experienced sexual assault should never have to carry their burdens alone.
Far too often, abortion is presented as a solution to the violence of rape. However, it cannot undo what happened or erase the trauma. The assault itself was an act of violence. Abortion ends the life of a child and introduces another loss into an already heartbreaking situation.
Abortion does not heal the wound of rape. Abortion is itself a form of violence.
Research demonstrates this tragic reality. A Cambridge University study found that women who undergo abortion face an 81 percent higher risk of mental health problems, as well as increased rates of suicidal ideation and substance misuse. Survivors of sexual assault deserve better care that promotes true healing, not additional harm.
Lianna chose Life for her child for this reason.
Survivor testimonies echo the same truth. Abortion does not erase the pain of sexual assault. Instead, it can deepen emotional, mental, and physical wounds. Violence should never be presented as part of the solution to violence.
Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest account for less than 2% of all abortions in the United States, according to abortion industry data. Still, abortion advocates leverage these cases to justify limitless abortion for any reason. Every child conceived is a human being with inherent value and dignity, no matter how he or she came into existence. Many women who become pregnant in these circumstances choose Life and later express gratitude for their babies.
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Science also affirms the obvious reality that preborn children are human beings. A survey by Steven A. Jacobs found that 95 percent of biologists agree that Life begins at fertilization. From that moment, a distinct human being exists with unique DNA. Human rights are not based on circumstances of conception, ability, or dependence. If the preborn are living human beings, then they deserve protection.
Rebecca deserved Life, despite her father’s crimes.
Preborn children are among the most vulnerable. They cannot speak or defend themselves, yet they possess both Life and inherent worth. Children conceived through rape are especially at risk of having their humanity denied because of their circumstances. Just as no born person is guilty of their parents’ crimes, no preborn child should pay for them either.
Abusers also use abortion to conceal their crimes and avoid accountability. There have been tragic cases where abortion providers failed to report clear signs of abuse, allowing exploitation to continue. Just last year, a man recorded a New Mexico abortion provider offering to provide a 14-year-old girl a secret abortion—no questions asked.
Ending a child’s life does not stop abuse. It covers it up.
Thankfully, women who do not wish to parent a child conceived in rape are able to access the beautiful option of adoption. This is a compassionate and life-affirming alternative that doesn’t kill an innocent human for someone else’ s crime. More than one million families in the United States are waiting to adopt, so mothers can rest assured that their baby will be loved and cared for by the family of their choosing, even if it is not by them.
Women deserve justice, healing, and support. Their children deserve protection and dignity. A truly compassionate response to sexual assault does not involve further violence. It involves holding perpetrators accountable, surrounding women with care, and defending the life of every innocent child. Now is the time to stand firm, reject harmful exceptions, and protect every mother and every child.
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