“Red Rose” rescuers are courageous pro-lifers who risk harassment, threats, and their very freedom to rescue babies “being led away to death” and reach mothers who are “staggering to the slaughter.” (Proverbs 24:11)
Red Rose Rescues are the very last line of defense before the abortionist’s scalpel or chemical cocktail extinguishes an innocent human life. Rescuers go inside abortion mills to talk with women and urge them to choose life for their unborn children. The movement is named for a red rose given to each woman along a short note and information about local pro-life pregnancy centers. In many rescues, women leave the abortion clinic, red rose in hand.
Life Legal is currently representing Red Rose rescuers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and New Orleans.
One of the Ohio rescues took place at Northeast Ohio Women’s Center, where in July a pro-lifer found the body of a 17-week aborted baby in the clinic’s dumpster. The clinic is run by abortionist David Burkons whose medical license was suspended after he violated the basic standard of care in the treatment of at least 14 women. In addition, Burkons has had to file numerous reports with the State Medical Board after his patients experienced complications from chemical abortion drugs including infection, hospitalization, incomplete abortion, and severe bleeding (source: abortiondocs.org).
Over 20 of Burkons’ obstetric patients have filed medical malpractice lawsuits against him. In one notable case, a baby girl he delivered suffered a severe brain injury during birth. Her parents won a $4 million settlement against the hospital. The judge in that case refused to allow the parents’ attorneys to present any evidence of Burkons’ abortion practice to the jury – yet another example of the “abortion distortion” so prevalent in our legal system.
Despite ongoing legal issues, Burkons says he enjoys doing abortions because every woman “comes in with a problem and leaves without a problem.”
As someone who paid an abortionist to kill my baby many years ago, I can assure you that women who seek the “services” of butchers like David Burkons leave abortion clinics with a much bigger problem than an inconveniently timed pregnancy.
The judge in the Ohio rescue case sentenced the pro-lifers to jail for trespassing, but our Life Legal affiliate attorney in Ohio successfully argued to have the sentence suspended, which means the defendants do not have to serve any jail time.
Our goal in these cases is to provide a witness for LIFE in the courtroom and to ensure that pro-lifers are able to return to their mission of saving babies and women from the scourge of abortion.
Our most recent Red Rose case is in Pennsylvania, where police took rescuers into custody two weeks ago during a rescue at a Planned Parenthood abortion mill. One of the two abortionists at that facility is nearly 80 years old and was sued in the past for “accidentally” aborting a woman’s baby after he failed to check whether she was pregnant before removing uterine polyps.
In Louisiana, rescuers went to the Delta Clinic of Baton Rouge, which has a long history of health violations, including failing to have basic medical supplies on hand that resulted in lifed-threatening injuries to women. Just two months ago, a homeless man rummaging through the trash behind the abortion mill found bloody medical waste, along with a sign-in sheet naming 13 women who were scheduled for abortions on a single day.
And in Washington DC rescuers are facing criminal trespassing charges and a “stay away” order after entering an abortion facility run by notorious late term abortionist Stephen Brigham, whose medical licenses in 7 states were revoked for gross negligence.
The upcoming Red Rose hearing dates are:
- Pennsylvania: Preliminary hearing on August 24
- Washington DC: Status hearing on August 28
- New Orleans: Trial set for November 16
Thank you for standing with us as we represent pro-lifers who risk their safety and freedom to “Rescue those being led away to death” and “Hold back those staggering toward slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11). Please pray for our pro-life clients facing trial in the coming weeks and months.