Tenth Anniversary of Bobbitt Mutilation Brings New Answers

Springfield, IL (January 9, 2004) -- Ten years ago, onJanuary 10, 1994, Lorena Bobbitt went on trial for the "maliciouswounding" of her husband's manhood with

an eight-inch kitchen knife. After an eleven day trial, shewas acquitted on grounds of temporary insanity.

Onthe tenth anniversary of this internationally watched trial, the ElliotInstitute is releasing a special report on the case, entitled "The Johnand

Lorena Bobbitt Mystery, Unraveled" that revealssurprising new information on the case. The 14,000-word report goes beyond thestandard explanation of an abused

wife striking back at her husband. This in-depth analysisoffer a detailed account of why the attack happened on that particular night;why Lorena focused her

attack and took her husband's manhood, and even why, whenfleeing the house, she even paused long enough to steal their houseguest'shandheld video game.

According to Dr. David Reardon, author of the Elliot Institute report,"All the evidence presented at Lorena's trial supports the view that herpsychiatric

symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) were precipitated by a coerced abortion three days before their firstwedding anniversary.

Lorena pleaded to keep her child and gave in to the abortiononly because she was pressured into it by John. Like other women before her,Lorena experienced the

unwanted abortion as an attack on both her maternity and hersexuality. That is the key to understanding her subsequent attack onJohn."

Dr. Reardon, a well-known expert on the abortion experiences of women,believes guilt, shame, and resentment over the abortion fueled the rapid risein

violence and sexual abuse in the Bobbitt household. Thisatmosphere of violence culminated in Lorena's attack on John's manhood onalmost exactly the third

anniversary of the abortion.

"The timing of the cutting incident was not coincidental,"says Reardon. "Between 30 and 40 percent of women who report post-abortionproblems experience

more intense symptoms around the anniversary date of theabortion. For these women, the anniversary is a connector back to unresolvedgrief, which can exhibit

itself in the guise of psychosomatic illnesses, increaseddepression, and uncontrollable fits of rage, all of which Lorenaexperienced."

Lorena's abortion was on June 15, 1990. On June 18, 1993, she went toher doctor complaining of hyperventilation, cramping, and anxiety attacks."These

psychosomatic symptoms are all typical of a post-abortionanniversary reaction," said Reardon. "The cutting incident occurredfive days later, only minutes

after she experienced flashbacks to the abortion, anothercommon post-abortion reaction."

Reardon has been the lead researcher on several national studies of theemotional aftereffects of abortion and has written numerous books and articleson

this subject. He assisted Lorena Bobbitt's defense team inidentifying the anniversary reaction which occurred at the time of the attack.He also helped

Lorena's defense attorneys to procure the aid of apost-abortion therapist prior to the trial.

"While I did not have access to any privileged communications inthe preparation of this report," Reardon said, "all of the factssupporting this analysis

can be found in the court transcripts, which include expertwitness testimonies. When you combine these facts with known patterns ofpost-abortion reactions, it

is clear that Lorena's abortion trauma profoundly magnifiedthe couple's problems and influenced everything she did on the night of theattack."

According to research cited in Reardon's analysis of the Bobbitt case,nearly 60% of women who experience post-abortion problems report that aftertheir

abortions, they lost their tempers more easily and becamemore violent when angry. If both the woman and her partner were involved in theabortion, mutual

feelings of guilt and antagonism may magnify hostilitieseven more. "This problem," Reardon says, "can make theresolution of spousal abuse very difficult.

Women may refuse to leave violent relationships becauseintense feelings of guilt and lowered self-esteem may make them more prone toself-destructive behavior.

They may continue to expose themselves to the risk ofviolence because they feel they deserve to be punished."

According to the Elliot Institute's report, Lorena's traumatic abortionis implicated in the cutting incident not only by the timing of the attack, but

also by the manner in which she attacked John. "Lorenafelt as though her abortion had left her sexually mutilated," Reardonsays, "and she blamed John for

making her have it. That she chose to attack John'ssexuality, not his life, indicates that Lorena was subconsciously choosing toretaliate in kind -- 'an eye

for an eye,' so to speak."

Reardon blames the disintegration of the Bobbitt's marriage on Lorena'sabortionist. He claims that Lorena had at least eight well-known risk factorswhich

indicated that she was likely to suffer severe psychologicalmaladjustments after the abortion. "Any competent physician would haverefused to do the abortion

on Lorena, no matter how much John wanted it. It was clearlynot in her best interests and was predictably likely to cause extensive harm toboth her and her

marriage."

Research published in a recent issue of the Archives of GeneralPsychiatry has shown that a minority of women having abortions experiencesymptoms of

post-traumatic stress disorder that are attributable to theabortion itself. Other recent research has shown that women who have abortionsare significantly

more likely to be subsequently hospitalized for psychiatricillness.

According to one pioneer in this field, Dr. Vincent Rue, co-director ofthe Institute for Pregnancy Loss, post-abortion trauma is far more widespreadthan

is generally recognized.

"From the evidence accumulated in the course of her trial,"Dr. Rue stated, "it is very likely that Lorena Bobbitt's actions were adirect result of both

her traumatic coerced abortion experience and herlongstanding abusive relationship with her husband."

A copy of the Elliot Institute's Special Report, "The John andLorena Bobbitt Mystery, Unraveled," can be downloaded atwww.afterabortion.info/reports.

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This news release is posted at www.afterabortion.info/news