FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Dr. Ulrich Klopfer is losing his relationship with his legally-required back-up doctor, Dr. Geoffrey Cly, OB/GYN.
According to Indiana Right Life and Allen County Right to Life Dr. Cly notified Klopher in a letter that he's terminating his relationship as replacement effective December 31st because of Klopfer's handling of 13-year-old abortions.
This comes on the heels of The Indiana Medical Licensing board requesting that Dr. Klopfer make a personal appearance after they became aware of some paperwork that the abortion doctor filed improperly.
In a letter dated Dec. 12, Cly wrote to Klopfer:
Many people have wondered why a Pro-Life OB/Gyn such as myself, would provide back up emergency coverage for patients who had terminations. And, as I stated in my initial correspondence to you, I was willing to serve as your Physician Designee because “patients' well-being and safety is of utmost importance to me.” Patients well-being and safety remains my top priority. However, recent information has revealed to me that you have placed other things higher in priority than the health and safety of your patients.
A November 25 news article in The South Bend Tribune lists three abortions that you incorrectly reported per state statutes to both the Indiana State Department of Health and the Department of Child Services concerning girls under 14 years old obtaining abortions from you. According to a December 1 article in the same paper, you admitted to failing to correctly report two of those abortions. Furthermore, you told an online news publication, RH Reality Check, that you now advise girls under 14 and their parents or guardians that they can go to Illinois or Ohio to avoid the under 14 reporting requirement for child sexual abuse.
Your failure to report 13-year-old abortions properly and your subsequent admission to advising parents to avoid state laws is alarming. According to Indiana law, sex with a girl under 14 – regardless of the perpetrator's age – is child abuse. Your advice to cross state lines for abortions may help child abuse to continue and a perpetrator or abuser to walk free. This advice blatantly disregards patients well-being and safety measures that are so important to me as a practicing OB/GYN and the medical field as a whole. I am saddened to think that these young girls may still be in a situation where they are in danger of being forced into further sexual abuse and emotional trauma.
These choices have demonstrated a disregard for the health and safety of patients. I firmly believe your decisions completely undermined over coverage agreement and therefore I am terminating my status as your Physician Designee in Allen County, Indiana, and as your state-required local physician with admitting privileges. These terminations will be effective December 31, 2013.
Upon learning of Cly's termination as Physician Designee for Klopfer, Cathie Humbarger, Executive Director of Allen County Right to Life stated, “Through Dr. Cly's termination of his back-up relationship with the doctor who provides abortions locally, we hope Dr. Klopfer will understand the severity of his mishandling of 13-year-old abortions. No 13-year-old should lose their innocence through child abuse and Dr. Klopfer's actions, especially to coach parents to take their children to other states for abortions, demonstrate that he was willing to overlook child abuse. Dr. Cly's willingness to be Dr. Klopfer's back-up doctor originally shows just how much Dr. Cly values the health and safety of local women. He wanted to make sure women received the best medical care possible if they dealt with abortion complications. We wholeheartedly support Dr. Cly's decision to terminate his back-up relationship with Dr. Klopfer in light of his recent egregious actions.”
