Kansas Man Cites Abortion Law as Defense in Child-sex Case
A man accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl argued in court recently that the victim was actually old enough to consent, according to a Kansas abortion law that states that life begins at fertilization.
The defendant’s attorney noted that since Kansas pro-life laws state that life starts once an egg is fertilized, the girl in the case was actually nine months older at the time of the incident, meaning she would have been 16 and a consenting adult.
Ultimately though, the judge rejected the defense’s claim that the abortion law should be applied to criminal cases.
Instead, the judge sided with the prosecution who argued that life begins at conception law only applies to public health codes, and not to criminal codes.
In criminal cases, age should still be determined by the date of birth, the judge ruled.
Since his argument was rejected, the man will now face rape charges, as sexual consent cannot be given in cases involving a minor in Kansas.
Read the full story here.