Ex-GOP governor Matt Bevin claims the 9-year-old victim of a rapist he pardoned was lying: 'Her hymen was intact'

During an interview on WHAS on Thursday, former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin defended a controversial series of pardons for convicted killers and sex criminals on his way out of office — some of whose families donated to his election campaign.

In particular, he argued that Micah Schoettle, a Kenton County man convicted of raping a 9-year-old girl, must have been innocent and "she made it up" — because she had an intact hymen.

The hymen, a fringe of tissue surrounding the opening of the vagina in women, has been held in many cultures to be an indicator of virginity. But the idea of a "torn" versus "intact" hymen is an indicator of whether a woman or girl has had vaginal intercourse is a myth — studies have shown that there is no correlation between the condition of the hymen and sexual activity, and many prepubescent girls who have been sexually assaulted do not present with visible damage to the hymen.

"Bevin clearly doesn't know medicine and anatomy," said former Kentucky medical chief and child abuse expert Dr. George Nichols in conversation with Courier-Journal reporter Joe Sonka. "I worked for six consecutive governors as chief medical examiner, and fortunately I didn't have to report to that asshole."

A prosecutor in Kentucky has reportedly opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bevin's pardon in the Schoettle case.

Bevin, a key supporter of President Donald Trump, narrowly lost re-election in November to Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear.