A proposed bill in Alabama could see convicted rapists castrated or given a vasectomy.
Democrat Representative Juandalynn Givan said ahead of the start of the 2024 Alabama legislative session that men found guilty of raping a woman in certain cases could be subject to an operation if they agree to it.
"My bill is simple," Givan said. "If there is a young girl who has been raped or there's incest involved, or a woman that has been raped, the bill would require a man, if found guilty, to have a vasectomy or some form of castration." Newsweek has contacted Givan for comment via email.
House Bill 90 also would ensure fathers pay all costs associated with an abortion unless otherwise agreed with the pregnant woman. It would also see the payment be waived if the man agrees to a vasectomy.
"In recent years, the Legislature has passed laws restricting reproduction rights in the state and the penalties have been imposed only on women. It's time for that to change," Givan said in a statement seen by Birmingham Watch. "The last time I checked a biology textbook, it takes a woman and a man to make a baby. Men in Alabama need to be held to the same level of responsibility as women."
Also in the bill is the reconsideration of the state's tight abortion laws, according to Givan. Alabama is one of several states where abortion is almost entirely illegal after the U.S. Supreme Court handed authority on abortion law to the states in 2022. Abortion is only permitted in cases where the mother's life is in serious danger, and there is no provision for rape or incest in Alabama.
According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Alabama constitution "acknowledges, declares, and affirms that it is the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life."
As part of the bill, Givan is asking lawmakers to consider allowing abortion in cases of rape and incest, saying that a woman should be able to choose what she should do with her own body.
"I'm hoping that at some point we will change the law with regards to a woman's right to choose what is best for her body, and with that being said, this legislation could aid in it," Givan said.
Pro-life activists have said that regardless of what happens in cases of rape and incest that the life of the unborn must be remain protected.
"Now, whether vasectomy is the answer, that is not my judgment call it to make," Shaylene Burlage, director at Alabama based pro-life organization Love Life, said. "But as a pro-life advocate, there is one life that absolutely needs to be protected, and that is the innocent child in the womb.
"The child in the womb should not have to pay the price for the sins of the father, or the actions of the mother. That is a separate life, and innocent of any wrongdoing."
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