The Doctor. Bernard in Indiana, USA, was reprimanded and fined for disclosing the miscarriage of a 10-year-old girl who was raped.
Gynecologist Caitlin Bernard revealed the abortion of a 10-year-old girl in an interview published by the Indianapolis Star in July 2022. Her patient lives in neighboring Ohio, which prohibits abortion after six weeks and does not make exceptions for victims of rape or incest. The 10-year-old girl went to Indiana to have an abortion, which allows the procedure to be performed on fetuses up to about 21 weeks old.
During a hearing on May 25, the Indiana Board of Medical Certification concluded that Bernard violated privacy laws by disclosing information about the abortion without the patient’s or guardian’s consent. After a vote on the same day, the board decided to fine Bernard $3,000 but allow the doctor to continue to practice.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard during a hearing before the Indiana State Board of Medical Credentials in Indianapolis on May 25. Photo: AP
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has previously publicly criticized Bernard, accusing the doctor of failing to properly inform authorities about sex crimes involving minors. However, the Indiana State Board of Medical Certification concluded that Dr. Bernard did not break the law in this regard.
At the hearing, Bernard said the girl in Ohio had to look for her because Ohio law changed after the US Supreme Court in June 2022 ruled the 1973 decision allowing abortions of 24 to 28 weeks to be decisive. US states would then have the power to pass laws banning abortions, but women with unwanted pregnancies can travel to another state for the procedure.
Bernard explained that he mentioned the girl’s case in the media to let the public see “the consequences of changing the legal framework”. “People need to know what patients will be facing when the new law is passed,” said Dr. Bernard.
Republican-led states tend to favor banning abortion. President Joe Biden called the US Supreme Court’s decision a “tragic mistake stemming from extreme ideology”. “The health and lives of women in America are at stake,” Biden said.
Nguyen Tien (according to AFP)
