Indiana doctor who provided abortion services to 10-year-old Ohio girl did not violate privacy laws, says employer

The employer for the Indiana doctor who provided abortion services to a 10-year-old rape victim pushed back against accusations that she had violated privacy laws, saying it had found no evidence of this after conducting its own investigation.

Indiana OB-GYN Caitlin Bernard made national news earlier this month after she spoke with The Indianapolis Star about providing abortion services to a 10-year-old Ohio girl who had been denied an abortion after she was raped because her pregnancy had passed the six-week mark by a few days.

The ensuing media frenzy sparked nationwide conversations, outrage among abortion activists and doubt among anti-abortion figures. The story was later confirmed after a man confessed to raping the girl and was arrested.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) said this week that he would be looking into Bernard’s licensure and whether she had violated Indiana’s abortion reporting laws. Rokita claimed that Bernard had a history of failing to report abortions.

In a statement, Indiana University Health, Bernard’s employer, said it had conducted its own review into the matter which it added is done “routinely.”

“Pursuant to its policy, IU Health conducted an investigation with the full cooperation of Dr. Bernard and other IU Health team members. IU Health’s investigation found Dr. Bernard in compliance with privacy laws,” said IU Health.

On Thursday, The Indianapolis Star reported that it had obtained documentation proving Bernard had properly disclosed the abortion to the state’s department of health. An attorney representing Bernard told the newspaper that she was considering legal action against those who had “smeared” her.

The Star reported that it was able to obtain these records through a public records request. In a letter to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) on Thursday, Rokita said that his office had made multiple attempts through several agencies to obtain proof that Bernard had disclosed the abortion and had not yet obtained any records.

When reached for comment, Rokita said in a statement, “As we stated, we are gathering evidence from multiple sources and agencies related to these allegations. Our legal review of it remains open.”