An Ohio state representative had sharp words for an anti-abortion advocate who made false claims about the now-infamous case of a 10-year-old from the state who had to travel to Indiana to receive an abortion after being raped because of Ohio’s near-total ban on the procedure.
During the hearings, which were focused on whether an abortion rights measure, which would add protections to the state constitution, would make it on state ballots in November, Laura Strietmann of Cincinatti Right to Life suggested that the doctor who treated the girl failed to immediately report the rape to state authorities.
“It’s a terrible tragic situation and we must do better to protect children from that kind of different situation that allowed such heinous, horrible abuse,” she told lawmakers. “I’m sorry that the abortionist did not report the rape and I’m sorry the mother permitted this.”
“That is simply untrue,” Democratic state Representative Jessica E Miranda responded.
“It was reported. So let us not continue to spread disinformation time and time again about certain family’s personal issues that they have dealt with in terms of a 10-year-old rape vicitm being raped and child sexual abuse,” she added. “I take extreme offence to that on behalf of the family and the poor 10-year-old who was subjected n that way to being raped at such a young tender age.”
Indeed, Dr Caitlin Bernard, the obstetrician-gynecologist provided the girl’s abortion care, had reported the procedure to Indiana’s Department of Health on 2 July, 2022, two days after it was performed, as required by the state.
That hasn’t stopped Republicans from attacking Dr Bernard, claiming she failed to report the case.
The attorney general of Indiana is investigating the doctor, claiming she “failed to uphold legal and Hippocratic responsibilities” by “exploiting a 10-year-old little girl’s traumatic medical story to the press for her own interests.”
An Indiana judge ruled in December that Attorney General Todd Rokita in fact violated state licensing requirements by discussing his investigation with the media before filing a complaint with a state medical board.
Gerson Fuentes, the individual alleged to have raped the child at the centre of the case, was arrested and charged in July. He has pleaded not guilty.
