ALBUQUERQUE, NM: A few minutes ago, New Mexico Alliance for Life (NMAFL)
announced the results of a year-long investigation into what NMAFL Executive Director Elisa Martinez described as “collaboration” between late-term abortion center Southwestern Women’s Options (SWO) and the University of New Mexico (UNM) “to harvest aborted baby bodies” while “violating women’s rights to lawful consent for 20 years.”
Martinez also announced NMAFL’s support for a lawsuit filed by Jessica Duran, a woman who claims SWO deceived her about its relationship with UNM. “As a patient of Southwestern Women’s Options, I was never informed that my baby’s body was going to be used for research at the University of New Mexico,” Duran said at
a NMAFL-sponsored press conference at the UNM Student Union Building Plaza Atrium. “I was never informed that there was even a relationship between my abortion doctor and UNM – that my abortion doctor was actually ‘faculty’ at UNM.”
“At the time of my abortion, I had no support and I went to a place that was supposed to give me options and choices; a place where women’s rights are supposedly respected,” continued Duran, whose lawsuit was filed as a result of NMAFL’s year-long investigation into SWO and UNM.”Instead, I was taken advantage of. I was deceived when I was in an emotional, vulnerable and desperate state. The very people who advertise they offer women ‘the right to choose’ at Southwestern Women’s Options violated my right to choose.”
Martinez, Duran, and Students for Life of America’s Sadé Patterson called for SWO to end its practice of harvesting baby body parts from unsuspecting women.
“By the reckless negligence of Southwestern Women’s options doctors, in violating a women’s right to informed consent in such a serious matter, a human life that would otherwise be here today has been ended,” said Martinez. “Jessica and the countless women like her must live with this knowledge every day. To find out their baby’s body was used for a research project – after the fact, without their consent, only serves to retraumatize many of these women.”
“The sad reality is that Jessica’s story is not uncommon,” said Sade Patterson, a member of Students for Life UNM. “Until we stand up for these women, they will continue to be taken advantage of by clinics like Southwestern Women’s Options [that] have a pattern of being negligent.”
“Shame on Southwestern Women’s Options for withholding information from Jessica and taking advantage of her in her most vulnerable state,” continued Patterson. “I am here to support Jessica, this lawsuit, and women whose rights have been violated by Southwestern Women’s Options and who want to see justice.”
Post-abortion counselor Laura Rosecrans, who founded Surrendered Hearts Abortion Recovery Ministries, also spoke at the press conference.
NMAFL’s investigation into SWO and UNM played a critical role in a congressional panel’s recommendation that Attorney General Hector Balderas prosecute both organizations. In order to help more women come forward, NMAFL has also launched
a new websitewhere women can tell their stories and receive free legal consultation if they pursue legal action against SWO.
The press conference can be seen in full
here. The hashtag #JusticeforJess was used throughout the event.
