John Willke | Antiabortion activist, 89
John Willke, 89, an obstetrician who helped shape the modern antiabortion movement with ideas including a belief that a woman can resist conception from a sexual assault, died Friday at his home in Cincinnati, his daughter Marie Meyers said Saturday.
John Willke, 89, an obstetrician who helped shape the modern antiabortion movement with ideas including a belief that a woman can resist conception from a sexual assault, died Friday at his home in Cincinnati, his daughter Marie Meyers said Saturday.
Dr. Willke, who founded the International Right to Life Federation, had seemed in good health for his age, Meyers said, and the cause of death wasn't immediately known.
Dr. Willke quit delivering babies in the late 1960s to oppose abortion, retiring from his medical practice in 1988 to devote his time to the antiabortion movement.
Other doctors and abortion-rights advocates have accused Dr. Willke of ignoring facts and science - particularly in his view on rape and pregnancy. Rep. Todd Aiken of Missouri drew criticism from fellow Republicans and lost his 2012 Senate bid after making comments reflecting Dr. Willke's view. - AP