A 12-year-old in Ontario cannot go on a school field trip without parental permission, or drink alcohol without a parent present. They won’t be able to drive, buy cigarettes, or vote for years. But they can get an abortion all on their own, without their parents ever knowing.

Private abortion facilities across Ontario advertise with pride that they will do abortions on girls under 16 without informing their parents.

Because Canada’s laws do not stipulate an age of consent for abortion, the only places where parental notification or consent might be required are in hospitals, and even that is dependent on the individual hospital’s policy.

In 1996, Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees introduced Bill 91, An Act to Provide for Parental Consultation Under the Health Care Consent Act, which would have required physicians to consult at least one parent of a minor child before providing any medical treatment. It was defeated at first reading by a vote of 34 to 42.

The Women’s Care Clinic in Toronto is unapologetic about the fact that they would refuse to give any information to parents of girls as young as 14, or even younger.

“I’m only 14 can I still have an abortion at your clinic?” their FAQ — frequently asked questions feature on their website — asks. “Yes, we do not discriminate by age and we do NOT require consent for our clients who are under the age of 18.”

“Furthermore, we do not tell your parents any information even if they call our facility inquiring about your whereabouts.”

Similar statements can be found on the websites of the Morgentaler Clinic, the Scott Clinic, Choice in Health, and other abortion facilities.

According to Alissa Golob, head of Campaign Life Coalition Youth, the lack of parental notification requirements is a “sex-abuser’s dream,” she said, referring to Live Action’s expose in recent years showing Planned Parenthood employees co-operating with undercover reporters posing as pimps for teenage prostitutes.

She explained: “They can abuse and impregnate as many young girls as they want and cover it up by getting free and legal abortions.”

Golob observed: “You can’t let a teenager see an ‘R’-rated movie because of gore or violence, but you can permit them to have the ultimate gore and violence inflicted on their unborn child through abortion at any age and that’s okay.”

She concluded, saying that the situation shows that “education is essential, especially to the youth of our nation, to prevent them from making a mistake they will regret for the rest of their lives.”

Parts of this article originally appeared June 9 at LifeSiteNews.com and is used with permission.