West Virginia lawmaker apologizes for 'beautiful' rape comment

A Republican lawmaker from West Virginia who drew fire for his comment about rape, saying "What is beautiful is the child that could come" from the violent act, has apologized to people he believes may have misunderstood him, THV11 reports.

State Rep. Brian Kurcaba made his initial comments as members of the West Virginia House of Delegates debated a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy without an exemption in cases of rape.

"For somebody to take advantage of somebody else in such a horrible and terrifying and brutal way is absolutely disgusting," Kurcaba said. "But what is beautiful is the child that could come as a production of this."

The little known West Virginia policymaker, who became the latest in a long line of GOP lawmakers to make an ill-advised comment about rape,  issued a statement late Friday apologizing to  "anyone who took my comments about the sanctity of human life to mean anything other than that all children are precious regardless of circumstances."

Republicans were already reeling last week over offensive rape comments after a Utah lawmaker questioned whether husbands should be charged with raping their sleeping wives.