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The Facts

In a recent article in Salient entitled "Abortior attacked" the writer cited "a scientific study of 3,500 cases of rape over a 10 year period in the Minneapolis-St. Paul areas revealed not one case of pregnancy. (The Educator, September 1979.)"

It may interest your readers to know that all available evidence indicates that this survey is completely fabricated. When "The Educator" was written to, asking for details of who conducted the survey, they replied that "the information you requested is no longer in our files." The only names the article includes are those of a Dr William Walsh, M.D. of Camarillo, California and Dr Herbert Ratner, M.D. Director of Public Health at Oakpark, Illinios. Both of these men were written to in order to establish who undertook the survey. Only Walsh replied. He is the only William Walsh listed for Camarillo, California. He says in reply to researcher, Roger John, of Pittsburgh (letter dated July 9, 1973) "...at no time have I investigated the subject of rape in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area". He goes on to admit that he is "very active in pro-life work" and suggests that Dr Paul Marx of Collegeville, Minnesota, may have information.

Marx in reply to Johnson, letter 22 August 1973 says, "I do not know the original study to which you refer. I doubt whether there is one." This fictitious study has been used many times by SPUC to support their extreme anti-women stand that even rape should not be grounds for abortion. To me, the use of lies to substantiate their argument says a lot about its validity.