Rape is a horrifying crime that traumatizes over 60,000 women each year in America. It is estimated that 5% or more of these women become pregnant by their rapist. One can only imagine what a woman is going through when she learns that she is now carrying a totally unwanted pregnancy stemming from a traumatic event. Most women exercise their right to choose and get an abortion because they do not wish to go through nine months of additional torture to reward their rapist with a child that he may have custody rights to in an astounding 31 states. That means rapists can continue to stalk, harass, and torture their victims for many years after the initial rape occurred. That is one of many reasons why it is important that rape victims have the choice to end such a pregnancy.

But apparently the Tea Party sees things much differently, and outrageously so. Scottie Nell Hughes is the Director of the Tea Party News Network. And as an extreme conservative, she shares the same twisted views of anti-abortion fanatics. During a July 11th appearance on Viewpoint with John Fugelsang on Current TV, Hughes said that rape victims who end resulting pregnancies should be punished in the same manner as their rapists. In other words, prison. AND, they should serve the same amount of prison time.

FUGELSANG: “Let’s say Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion becomes illegal. If a woman is raped and she goes to a doctor, and the doctor terminates the pregnancy – Please tell me who deserves the longest jail sentence? The rapist,the doctor or the woman? In order.” HUGHES: “Across the board.” FUGELSANG: “All three of them?” HUGHES: “Go for it!”

Americans Against The Tea Party caught this exchange. Here’s the video:

This insane conservative wants to literally force raped women to give birth to their rapist’s babies against their will or get the same punishment as the rapist. How sick is that?! The Tea Party actually wants to treat raped women like the rapist who committed a real crime. Even the doctors who perform the abortions would be imprisoned. This is yet another ridiculous conservative quote about rape and rape victims and it’s beliefs such as these that have caused women to leave the GOP in droves. Such an offensive and totally unforgivable stance only demonstrates more than ever that Republicans have no problem helping rapists torture their victims. A woman gets raped, Republicans force her to give birth to her rapist’s baby, woman is then forced to give visitation rights to her own rapist, Republicans don’t give a damn about the child after it has been born and they certainly don’t give a damn about the woman. That’s what’s going on here.

Forcing a woman to go through nine excruciating months of pregnancy and a painful birth makes it really obvious that Republicans are aiding the rapist in his effort to have power over his victim. Considering Republican desires to subjugate women, one cannot help but wonder if Republicans enjoy helping rapists out. There has to be a reason why Republicans are so obsessed with rape. It’s not enough that a rape victim has been forced to do something by a criminal, she’s also being forced to reward her rapist with progeny by her own government. After a rape, women often have mental and emotional trauma in addition to physical trauma. Some even commit suicide because of the ordeal. By forcing women to carry rape pregnancies or serve prison time, Republicans would make the trauma even worse and it is likely that more women would resort to suicide. Abortion should always be an option for rape victims. They should always have a choice. And taking that choice away makes Republicans and Tea Party members like Hughes no better than the rapists. In fact, it makes them worse because instead of protecting the rights and health of raped women, the GOP is choosing to protect the vile interests of the rapist.