Indiana abortionist fined for speaking about procedure performed on minor

On Thursday, Indiana’s Medical Licensing Board fined an Indianapolis abortionist for violating privacy laws after she spoke publicly about performing an abortion on a 10-year-old girl. The board gave Dr. Caitlin Bernard a $3,000 fine and a formal reprimand but did not suspend her medical license. Attorney General Todd Rokita in November filed a complaint against Bernard that claimed she violated state child abuse reporting laws and federal patient privacy laws when she told reporters about the child’s case. Bernard said in court that she did not release any protected health information, and her lawyers said she did abide by mandatory reporting laws.

What sparked the complaint? In July 2022, Bernard told a reporter for the Indianapolis Star that she had performed an abortion on an unnamed 10-year-old girl from Ohio. Police in Ohio arrested and charged a 27-year-old man with raping a 10-year-old girl later that month. At the time of the incident, Ohio law protected babies after six weeks of pregnancy. A state judge in October put the pro-life law on hold while a lawsuit proceeds against the legislation. 

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals on lawmakers trying to pass pro-life legislation in South Carolina.