Eric Rudolph to Plead Guilty to Bombing Two Abortion Clinics

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Eric Rudolph to Plead Guilty to Bombing Two Abortion Clinics; National Abortion Federation Calls on Law Enforcement to Continue Investigation of Network of Extremists Who Assist Violent Criminals

4/8/2005 5:07:00 PM


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To: National Desk

Contact: Alyssa Barnum of the National Abortion Federation, 202-577-8411

WASHINGTON, April 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Eric Rudolph reportedly will plead guilty to bombing abortion clinics in Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA, along with the bombings at Olympic Park and a gay bar. In 1998, the bombing at the Birmingham clinic killed a security guard, who was an off-duty police officer, and severely injured Emily Lyons, a nurse at the clinic. "We are pleased that Rudolph will finally admit responsibility for these heinous acts," said Vicki Saporta, NAF's President and CEO.

As the professional association of abortion providers, NAF is extremely concerned about the issue of violence against health care professionals. NAF has been tracking incidents of violence since 1977. In that time, there have been seven murders, 17 attempted murders, 41 bombings, 171 arsons, 100 butyric acid attacks, and 655 anthrax threats targeting abortion providers.

"It is unlikely that Eric Rudolph evaded capture for five years without help," said Saporta. "We thank law enforcement for their hard work and call on them to continue to investigate the network of extremists who helped Eric Rudolph while he was on the run."

"The only way we are going to end the violence against abortion providers is to not only capture and prosecute those responsible for the violence, but to also find and prosecute those who assist them in committing these acts and escaping from justice."

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The National Abortion Federation is the professional association of abortion providers in the U.S. and Canada dedicated to ensuring that abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible. Web: http://www.prochoice.org

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