La. R.S. § 40:1061.18 Abortion Sought Due to Rape Or Certain Acts of Crime Against Nature; Reporting and Certification

• Library: Louisiana Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with changes from the 2023 Legislative Session
• Year: 2023
• Citation: La. R.S. § 40:1061.18

A. Whenever an abortion is being sought pursuant to R.S. 40:1061.6 to terminate a pregnancy resulting from an alleged act of rape, prior to the abortion all of the following requirements shall be met:

(1) The rape victim shall report the rape to a law enforcement official unless the treating physician certifies in writing that in the physician's professional opinion, the victim was too physically or psychologically incapacitated to report the rape.

(2) The victim certifies that the pregnancy is the result of rape, which certificate shall be witnessed by the treating physician.

B. Whenever an abortion is being sought pursuant to R.S. 40:1061.6 to terminate a pregnancy resulting from an alleged act of crime against nature as defined by R.S. 14:89(A)(2), prior to the abortion all of the following requirements shall be met:

(1) The victim of crime against nature as defined by R.S. 14:89(A)(2) shall report the act to a law enforcement official unless the treating physician certifies in writing that in the physician's professional opinion the victim was too physically or psychologically incapacitated to report the act.