To the editor:

Dr. Wes and Julia’s recent column on the so-called “kiss and tell” case demonstrates a significant lack of understanding of the issue.

The opinion issued by then-Attorney General Phill Kline was never about “kissing and telling.” It’s legal to kiss in Kansas and no one ever needs to know. It is, however, illegal to have intercourse with a child – that’s called rape. Kansas has mandatory reporting laws for good reason – one of them is that children are often in co-dependent relationships and do not report their own sexual abuse because they are terrified. Kline’s opinion stated that if a child is raped, abortion clinics should call SRS and allow them to investigate.

Interestingly, the 10th Circuit Court never threw the case out. In fact, the only 10th Circuit ruling issued on the case agreed with Kline and reversed the district court’s decision. Newly elected Attorney General Paul Morrison simply filed a motion to dismiss the most recent appeal and the 10th Circuit had no choice; the appealing party (Morrison) now wanted it dismissed.

Teenagers are never investigated or prosecuted for kissing, but unfortunately, adults who rape children aren’t often investigated or prosecuted because they take that child to an abortion clinic, claim an age-mate boyfriend did it, and return home with the child to rape again.

Sorry, Dr. Wes and Julia, but the child’s privacy was invaded by the rapist, not by requiring an abortion doctor to call someone who can help the child.

Brian Burgess,

public information officer, Office of District Attorney Phill Kline, Overland Park