Indiana AG Investigating Doctor Who Gave 10-Year-Old An Abortion
Attorney General Todd Rokita says he is looking into whether the doctor filed the necessary reports about the abortion, but the doctor's lawyer says she did. The case continues to reverberate across the political spectrum; some officials of antiabortion groups say the child — who had to travel from Ohio because of its strict abortion laws — should have continued her pregnancy, and some Republicans are backing off earlier statements casting doubt on whether the case was legitimate.
Politico:
Indiana AG Eyes Criminal Prosecution Of 10-Year-Old Rape Victim's Abortion Doc
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is threatening criminal charges against the doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape survivor from Ohio — a major escalation in the ongoing saga that has put the midwestern state on the frontlines of the post-Roe war. A new letter from Rokita to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb dated Wednesday but released on Thursday asks for records from the Indiana Department of Health and the Department of Child Services to determine whether the physician — Caitlin Bernard with Indiana University — filed the legally required reports within the three-day window of performing the abortion. (Ollstein, 7/14)
NPR:
Doctor Told State She Performed Abortion On 10-Year-Old Girl
A new document obtained by NPR confirms that an Indiana doctor reported to state officials that she had performed an abortion last month on a 10-year-old rape victim. The release of the document comes after Indiana's attorney general said he would investigate the physician, claiming without evidence that she has a history of failing to report abortions as required under Indiana law. (McCammon, 7/15)
AP:
Doctor's Lawyer Defends Steps In 10-Year-Old Girl's Abortion
The lawyer for an Indiana doctor at the center of a political firestorm after speaking out about a 10-year-old child abuse victim who traveled from Ohio for an abortion said Thursday that her client provided proper treatment and did not violate any patient privacy laws in discussing the unidentified girl’s case. (Davies and Smyth, 7/15)
Girl's case troubles some conservatives —
NBC News:
Republicans Shocked A 10-Year-Old Can Get Pregnant After Ohio Rape Victim Abortion Story Proves True
Confronted with the reality of the case, GOP lawmakers interviewed Thursday appeared to be grappling with how to respond — from confusion to blaming the media. Many expressed shock that it was even biologically possible for the 10-year-old child to become pregnant. Some said they were torn “morally” about whether abortions should be allowed in cases of incest or rape, as in the Ohio case. And others tried to turn the conversation to the undocumented immigrant who prosecutors allege raped the girl. (Wong, 7/14)
Politico:
National Right To Life Official: 10-Year-Old Should Have Had Baby
The 10-year-old Ohio girl who crossed state lines to receive an abortion in Indiana should have carried her pregnancy to term and would be required to do so under a model law written for state legislatures considering more restrictive abortion measures, according to the general counsel for the National Right to Life. (Messerly and Wren, 7/14)
USA Today:
How Many Young Girls Get Pregnant By Rape Isn't Known, Experts Say. But The Health Risks Are Clear
“Until the Roe ruling, I had never had a colleague tell me about a pregnancy that was being forced to continue because of rape,” said Dr. Erika Werner, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts Medical Center. “In last three weeks, I’ve heard of three.” (Rodriguez, 7/14)
Could the girl have received an abortion in Ohio? —
News 5 Cleveland:
Did 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Have To Leave Ohio For Abortion?
[Attorney General Dave] Yost said he wanted to correct something that the national media outlets were getting wrong in their coverage of this story. “Ohio’s heartbeat law has a medical emergency exception, broader than just the life of the mother,” he said. “She did not have to leave Ohio for treatment.” ... Since much of the medical emergency exception is left up to a doctor’s discretion, there’s a gray area. Doctors could face a fifth-degree felony charge if someone questions their decision down the line, putting them in a tough spot. (Merrell, 7/14)
The Washington Post:
What Ohio Abortion Law Says About A Pregnant 10-Year-Old Rape Victim
[Yost] appeared to be arguing that Ohio’s law — which bans almost all abortions after a heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks — isn’t actually so stringent that it would actually force a 10-year-old rape victim to carry a child to term. ... Yost’s meaning wasn’t entirely clear. Some took his comment as claiming Ohio has a rape exception in its abortion ban; it clearly and unambiguously does not. ... Yost didn’t say there was a rape exception. He was apparently arguing that a 10-year old would qualify under one of the actual exceptions — probably the latter, given that it’s the one that’s “broader than just the life of the mother.” (Blake, 7/14)
Axios:
Latest Proposed Bill Would Ban Abortions In Ohio From Conception
A Christian pastor serving in the Ohio House of Representatives is proposing to ban abortion from the moment of conception. ... Opponents fear the vaguely-worded, 70-word bill would have broader consequences if enacted — potentially limiting access to in-vitro fertilization and medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. (Buchanan and Neese, 7/14)
In related news from Indiana —
The Hill:
Indiana Asks Supreme Court To Let It Enforce Parental-Notice Abortion Law
Indiana asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to let it enforce a law that would stiffen parental notice requirements in cases where a minor seeks an abortion. The law at issue has been blocked since 2017 by lower courts that relied on Roe v. Wade and related precedents. With Roe’s overruling last month, however, Indiana is now asking the justices to fast-track an order to lower courts to clear the way for the law to become effective immediately. (Kruzel, 7/14)
