Indiana doctor who gave 10-year-old an abortion faces licensing discipline
Breccan F. Thies
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An Indiana doctor is facing possible disciplinary action after speaking out publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard’s case is being reviewed in a final hearing Thursday before Indiana’s state medical board.
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Bernard has been accused by Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita of violating Indiana law in not reporting the rape to authorities as well as violating federal patient privacy laws when she told the Indianapolis Star about the case just days after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The story was cited by pro-abortion activists as a consequence of the Roe overturn, as Ohio’s heartbeat bill, banning abortion at about six weeks, went into effect.
Bernard has denied claims that she broke Indiana reporting laws and maintains that she did not release any information that could identify the girl.
Rokita’s complaint does not specify a penalty, but asks the medical board to pursue “appropriate disciplinary action.” The Hoosier Republican told Fox News last summer that Bernard is an “abortion activist acting as a doctor.”
Last year, Bernard attempted to block Rokita’s investigation, calling it “frivolous,” but a judge did allow the filing to go to the medical board. The judge also criticized Rokita’s statements about Bernard, saying they were “clearly unlawful breaches of the licensing investigations statute’s requirement that employees of the Attorney General’s Office maintain confidentiality over pending investigations until they are so referred to prosecution.”
Despite that, Rokita was active Thursday on Twitter, saying, “This Board gets to decide whether it’s acceptable in Indiana for a licensed physician pursuing a political agenda, without patient authorization, to disclose enough details about this little girl’s tragic situation to identify her and her family to the world.”
“Bernard would rather elevate her political beliefs then [sic] protect her patients,” he continued. “She gave detailed information to the press about her patient without them even knowing.”
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The Indiana medical board is made up of six doctors and one attorney, who are all appointed by the governor. According to the Indianapolis Star, some of the members of the board have made political contributions to Rokita.
“That horrific case of abuse should never have happened,” SBA Pro-Life America told the Washington Examiner. “Our hearts are with the young girl who has suffered a traumatic and unthinkable experience.”