HERNDON: In one word…ick

One of the creepiest exchanges in Idaho history occurred in January 2023 and Idaho needs to know about this before the primary election: Idaho State Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow asks Scott Herndon (currently representing District 1) whether the bill he was introducing (to remove the rape/incest exemption from Idaho’s 2022 restriction on women’s health) would force a pregnant 13-year-old girl who was raped by a family member to carry the child to term.

Scott Herndon replies: “Some people could describe the situation that you’re talking about as the opportunity to have a child in those terrible circumstances if the rape actually occurred.”

Dear Scott Herndon: Ick. 

Child sexual abuse in Idaho is skyrocketing; it went from 485 cases in 2012 to 1,043 in 2022. 19% of Idaho’s child molestation cases in 2022 were from District One, the district you supposedly represent, which has only 13% of Idaho’s population. 

80% of Idaho’s child molestation perpetrators are adults. 60% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by a relative. That is a lot of rape and incest, so please stop making excuses for child molesters and trying to spin incest and child rape as not rape and as “the opportunity to have a child.” Again, I say “Ick.”

Everyone, please vote. Go to voteidaho.gov to get started.

CARRIE ROLLER, MD, MPH

Sandpoint