Sexual abuse creates a community
of people who, surrounded by the stigma, the sensitivity and the myths of abuse, are largely silent and often 'unseen'.
As well as the victims of direct abuse however, another, if not more hidden community
exists-the children conceived through rape and incest. We know that in other parts of the world where contraception is not
used frequently or is simply difficult to access, the pregnancy rate from rape can be as high as 17% (World Health Organisation,
2002). In developed countries the rate is around 5%. In the UK, the British Crime Survey 2000 suggested that in the previous
year in England and Wales more than 60,000 women had been raped. Potentially that is over 3000 babies
conceived through rape in England and Wales in that one year.
Some
women will have an abortion-but not all. Some will place the child up for adoption and some will choose to keep the child.
What about these children? These are the forgotten victims of sexual abuse.
Perhaps you are pregnant through rape and wonder about the child. Perhaps you have
given birth to such a child and have placed him or her for adoption. Perhaps you are that child. This page will pull
together support for such situations.
The Work of Rebecca Keissling
Rebecca Keissling is an attorney,
an International pro-life speaker and a committed Christian. Rebecca was herself conceived through rape and since discovering
this at the age of 18 has sought to challenge the common use of pregnancy throuhg rape as a justification for abortion.
She has written a book called Conceived in Rape: A Story of Hope. It can be ordered from the
US through Heritage House http://www.hh76.com/Default.asp?site_id=2
Please visit Rebecca's site for information and
inspirational examples of people conceived through rape and those who gave birth to children produced through rape. http://www.rebeccakiessling.com/Othersconceivedinrape.html
STIGMA is an US organisation providing support for men and women who know they have been conceived through rape and incest.
An article about dealing with children with a difficult history-including those conceived through rape
A simple reflection on God's Word
