Earlier this week, it was reported that abortionist Kermit Gosnell has died. He was arrested and convicted in 2013 for crimes committed at his House of Horrors abortion clinic in Philadelphia, receiving a life sentence for killing infants both before and after they were born, exceeding Pennsylvania’s legal limits.
I remember sitting right behind him during the trial and noticing a grin on his face—almost as if he felt no remorse at all.
I’ve come across this situation many times, even helped abortionists and clinic workers realize their mistakes. It really shows how we can become desensitized to the gravity of what’s happening when we accept that killing babies is okay. We end up dehumanizing them, and in turn, dehumanizing ourselves.
I knew Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who was a founder of the abortion industry yet later transitioned to pro-life beliefs. He once aborted his own child and recounted feeling absolutely nothing, highlighting the effect of such dehumanization.
At Gosnell’s clinic, there were around 45 bodies of aborted babies found in orange juice containers and other makeshift receptacles. We urged the Philadelphia medical examiner to provide these babies with a respectful burial, while also asking for a name in Priests for Life. I encourage you to watch and share it.
Ultimately, the city made the decision to cremate the bodies and bury them in unmarked graves. We eventually located the site and held a memorial service there.
The dehumanizing aspect of abortion extends to the abortion industry’s neglect of the very mothers it claims to help. Besides being convicted of infanticide, Gosnell was also found guilty of the manslaughter of Karnamaya Monger, who sought an abortion but never returned.
These tragedies resulted from numerous violations of health and safety regulations. In the courtroom, we were allowed to observe the dirty furniture and outdated medical equipment used in his clinic, and it was shocking to think that such items were, at some point, employed on patients.
There are several lessons to be gleaned from the Gosnell case that are relevant to the current abortion debate and future direction. I’d like to highlight two main points.
First, Gosnell is not an outlier within the abortion industry. Despite his clear disregard for basic standards of care, don’t be misled into thinking that all abortion clinics uphold them.
Back in the 1990s, I collaborated on a groundbreaking book, lime 5, which was published by Life Dynamics. This book details numerous verified instances of malpractice and abuse that occur routinely in legal abortion clinics across the country.
More recently, Americans Unite for Life put out a report titled not safe, which outlines how abuses happen at supposedly “safe and legal” clinics: untrained staff, expired medications, faulty medical equipment, failure to monitor vital signs, among other issues.
Gosnell is merely the surface of a much larger problem. Educating the public about this reality is vital for pro-life advocacy.
Secondly, the grand jury report provides crucial insights into the events leading to the Gosnell case that play an important role in today’s ongoing fight over abortion. Issues like the proposed state constitutional amendments regarding abortion are pivotal in the upcoming 2026 elections across various states like Virginia and Missouri.
The amendments that have passed not only maintain abortion’s legality but also prevent any delays or hindrances to abortion services.
But what does that mean in reality?
The grand jury report suggests that Pennsylvania could have intervened to halt the abuse at Gosnell’s clinic had the pro-abortion administration of then-Governor Tom Ridge (R-Pennsylvania) not eliminated annual inspections of clinics.
And why was that?
The report indicates that “the policies under Governor Ridge’s administration were rooted in a desire to ‘place no barriers to women’ seeking abortions.”
This mirrors what these amendments advocate: there should be no obstacles or delays. The implication is that reasonable standards like clinic inspections would be viewed as burdensome, ultimately allowing cases like Gosnell’s to persist.
Though Gosnell has passed, the lessons from his troubled career must remain relevant as we navigate advocacy, legislation, and upcoming elections.
