German Pro Life Activist Released from Jail Protestant Theologian Called Abortion Specialist a "Professional Killer"

Erlangen, August 6 (idea) ­ The German Pro Life activist Johannes Lerle, Erlangen, is a free man again. The Protestant theologian was jailed for seven and a half months, because he called an abortion specialist a "professional killer" and "torturer".

On flyers distributed in front of an abortion clinic in Nuremberg Lerle claimed that the doctor applied worse methods than those practiced in a concentration camp. Because Lerle would not retract these remarks a court in Nuremberg sentenced him to a fine. When he refused to pay it he had to do time.

After his release Lerle told the evangelical news agency idea that he had received more than one hundred messages of solidarity. He announced that he would continue his fight against the abortion practice in Germany.

Each year about 135,000 abortions are officially registered. The real total is considered to be as high as 300,000. A law passed in 1995 allows abortions to go unpunished if they are performed within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy and if the mother has consulted a recognized agency.

Under pressure from the Pope the Roman Catholic Church in Germany has withdrawn all its counseling agencies from the system, while the Protestant main line Churches continue to issue the consulting certificates.

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Evangelical news agency idea. Wolfgang Polzer e-mail: ­ Internet: http://www.idea.de Postal address: idea, PO Box 1820, 35528 Wetzlar, Germany