The mother, Angele, had gone to the EPOC clinic in Orlando, Fla., to get an abortion. After the first day of the procedure, she was required to return to the clinic the following day for an induced abortion. When her baby was born alive, the woman screamed for help, but the clinic workers refused to help her, according to the Liberty Counsel.
Angele was forced to watch her son Rowan die, and during the incident, no doctors were present at the abortion clinic, the legal group said.
"We are hopeful that these complaints will lead to immediate change in the form of discipline against the doctors and revocation of the abortion license for the clinic. But we are also hopeful that these complaints will serve as the catalyst for long-term change," said Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of the Liberty Counsel.
The complaint names Dr. Harry Perper, who performed the procedure the first day but was not on hand the second day, as well as Dr. James Pendergraft, who owns and supervises the clinic.
The complaint also details several violations of Florida laws: the complete absence of a doctor during an abortion procedure, causing a death certificate to improperly state that the baby was still-born, and a complete lack of post-operative care.
After the procedure, Angele was rushed out the door with no follow-up care, and she did not receive a rhogam shot, which was medically necessary for her given her blood type, the legal group said.
"Abortion clinics are the least regulated medical facilities in the state of Florida. That needs to change. It is a travesty that tattoo parlors are more heavily regulated than abortion clinics," said Staver.
"These doctors need to be held accountable for their actions, and we intend to pursue these complaints to that end. Part of promoting a culture of life in America means holding abortion doctors and clinics accountable when they violate the law," he concluded.
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