(LifeSiteNews) — Pro-life individuals and organizations have been targets of violence at a significantly higher rate than their pro-abortion counterparts in the wake of the Dobbs decision.
On October 31, the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) released a list of cases across the United States, outlining violence against both pro-life and pro-abortion groups. Despite mainstream media coverage focused on the abortion advocates, the information gathered proves that pro-lifers experienced threats and violence in far greater numbers.
“We identified 135 attacks on pro-life entities and people between when the [Supreme Court opinion] leak occurred and September 24th, 2022,” the report states. “By contrast, only six cases involve pro-choice [sic] people attacked.”
The study consisted of different sources including news searches and an attempt to gather information on “additional cases” from pro-abortion organizations. These groups “refused to respond” to the requests “despite efforts over three weeks.”
“The bottom line is that after the Dobbs decision was leaked, there was over 22 times more violence directed against pro-life groups than pro-choice organizations,” the report continues.
“However, if the media is less likely to cover violence [against] pro-life organizations, the 22 times estimate will underestimate the relative violence against these groups.”
READ: House Republicans demand answers from Dept. Of Justice on FBI’s use of force in Mark Houck arrest
UPDATE (01/30/23): Mark Houck has been AQUITTED on both charges!
Thanks be to God LifeSiteNews can report that Mark Houck has been found "Not Guilty" on all counts today.
In a statement to LifeSiteNews, Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania spokeswoman and Houck family friend Ashley Garecht said “We rejoice and celebrate that Mark Houck has been found not guilty on all counts.”
“This case was always about a father’s right to protect his son, and never had anything to do with the FACE act,” she said. “We are grateful to the judge for his integrity, and to the jurors for their thoughtful deliberations. We are grateful to Mark’s attorneys who labored so diligently in his defense. And we are grateful for all of those who surrounded and supported Mark and his family in prayer through this challenging ordeal.”
“Most of all we praise and thank God for his protection and provision,” Garecht added. “To Him be all the glory.”
The Thomas More Society is set to hold a press conference today on the 6th street side of the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia.
Monday’s verdict came after a tense weekend wait following a deadlocked jury on Friday.
Several hours into Monday’s deliberations after the jury reconvened, an alternate was chosen to replace one of the jurors. Just before 3:00 p.m. EST, the jury delivered its verdict, acquitting Houck on both charges.
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Mark Houck, a pro-life Catholic father of 7, became the latest victim of an FBI raid and arrest on the morning of Friday September 23 — for supposed “FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act” violations — at his rural home as his children looked on “screaming.”
The arrest and raid stems from an altercation with a Planned Parenthood worker.
According to Mark’s wife Ryan-Marie, a “pro-abortion protester” would verbally harrass Mark's 12-year old son — hurling vulgar and derogatory statements.
When the protestor encroached in the boy's space, Mark defended his son. At that point, “Mark shoved him away from his child, and the guy fell back,” Ryan-Marie recounts.
The protestor was not injured, but he tried to sue Mark Houck for the assault but his case was thrown out of court in the early summer.
WE CANNOT ALLOW THE LEFT TO HARRASS PRO-LIFE ADVOCATES THIS WAY!
It's vital to stand in solidarity with a pro-family and pro-life man being unjustly persecuted - please SIGN & SHARE our message of support now.
In case you hadn't caught on already, the satanic Biden administration is waging war on Christians. https://t.co/E6ChpZVDYW
— Michael (X) Knowles ✊ (@michaeljknowles) September 24, 2022
The description of this arrest sounds like it took place in a totalitarian state. A tragic unraveling of Justice in America. https://t.co/e3vEID7E39
— Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) September 25, 2022
If convicted, Houck faces up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000, according to the Justice Department.
Additional conservative pro-life leaders have weighed in — this is why we need your support ASAP.
“Just in the last few days we’ve seen some pretty glaring examples of what appear to be instances of DOJ [Department of Justice] overreach. You’ve got a Catholic father of seven who formed a group designed to encourage young men to be faithful to their commitments, arrested in front of his seven children just recently. You’ve got all these instances of overreach. It’s deeply concerning to us all. These are all things we’re gonna be looking into.” — US Senator Mike Lee
Tell the Houck family that you stand by them!
SIGN: We stand with pro-life Catholic dad of 7 raided by Biden’s FBI
Please share this petition widely. Let's stand in solidarity with Mark Houck and his family.
Thank you.
According to the study, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains a list of “recent cases on violence against reproductive healthcare providers.” However, “it doesn’t collect similar data for cases against pro-life centers.” The study sought to compile “extensive news searches and contacted various organizations on both sides of the debate.”
A research associate from the CPRC reportedly contacted the National Abortion Federation (NAF) to gather information on “violence and disruption against abortion providers.” This organization redirected the researcher to the DC Abortion Fund (DCAF).
“I emailed the NAF and DCAF seven times between October 10th and October 25th,” the researcher wrote. “As of October 31st, while I got automated responses indicating they had received the messages, I never received any further response.”
“We felt it was important to identify and read each case to ensure they were comparable.”
The researcher explained that he/she tracked down violence against both sides by searching with “keywords such as ‘anti-abortion attacks,’ ‘attacks on abortion providers,’ ‘violence to abortion clinic,’ ‘pro-abortion attacks,’ and ‘attacks on pregnancy centers’.” However, a majority of the search results were “related to the cases that happened last year or earlier.”
The NAF released its “2021 Violence and Disruption Statistics” report in May, but “it only provided summary statistics and not a list of the cases upon which the report was based.” No stories which covered the 2021 report offered any reference list either. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), another resource of the researchers, did not collect data after 2016.
Despite the lack of evidence to prove attacks against pro-abortion individuals and organizations, “the media has uncritically accepted pro-choice claims of violence without asking for a list of cases,” the study asserted.
The CRPC included a comprehensive list of all reliably reported attacks on both pro-life pregnancy centers and individuals as well as pro-abortion organizations which took place in the United States. A May 2 incident in St. Louis, Missouri was the first recorded violence since the leaked majority opinion. In this event, a memorial display for children killed in abortion, organized by a local Students for Life chapter, was vandalized. The most recent act of violence was a September 27 case of vandalism at a Catholic medical center in Colorado.
The earliest reliable report of violence against pro-abortion groups was on May 25, when a “woman in a hooded shirt set a fire” at an abortion clinic in Wyoming. The most recent incident was a woman leaving a dead raccoon outside the door of an Ohio clinic on August 15.
Although there is substantial evidence of pro-abortion violence, little has been done to respond to these crimes. In September, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) verified an ongoing investigation into attacks on pregnancy centers, many of which were claimed as actions of the pro-abortion extremist group Jane’s Revenge. However, the FBI also refused to disclose whether they had made any arrests connected to violence against pro-life centers.