Crowe Moves To Empower Mothers Who Endure Sexual Abuse While Giving Birth
SPRINGFIELD – To address cases of sexual abuse against mothers while giving birth, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) advanced legislation to allow parents to remove the physician’s name from a copy of the child’s birth certificate. “When giving birth, women trust their physician to offer support, guidance, and encouragement on one of the happiest, most memorable days of her life,” Crowe said. “Unfortunately, there are multiple cases where mothers endure sexual assault and abuse in the process, and this measure aims to remove the disgraced physician’s name from the child’s birth certificate.” In Illinois, the short-form birth certificate does not include the physician’s name. Under Crowe’s proposal, a parent or 18-year old child can request a long-form birth certificate with the physician’s name removed. The redacted certified copy of the birth certificate does not replace the original certificate.