In the end, forgiveness set Kathleen free. Victims of sexual violence need counseling and care, Kathleen says, and plenty of time for healing. Two wrongs will never make a right. What rape takes away from a woman, abortion cannot restore. Though many outsiders view abortion as a quick and sanitary procedure that takes place behind closed doors, to the woman it is a second assault, a disturbing reminder of the invasive violence she already has endured.
Abortion involves a painful intrusion into a woman's sexual organs by a masked stranger . . .
For many women this experiential association between abortion and sexual assault is very strong . . . Women with a history of sexual assault are likely to experience greater distress during and after an abortion than are other women. Rape and incest victims who abort get a double whammy of these difficult emotions. For these girls, pregnancy can represent their only hope of escaping the abusive situation. To such a girl, pregnancy may not be the problem.