Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita |
Bernard committed the abortion on June 30, 2022. The next day at 5:00 am, the Indianapolis Star published its story about the 10-year-old's rape and abortion. Bernard had to immediately contact the media to make this possible. Bernard filed a report about the rape on July 2. Indiana law requires Bernard to report such abuse immediately. According to Rokita, the delay, and the fact that Bernard took the time to speak with the Indianapolis Times, show that she was not reasonably following the reporting requirement.
Bernard, rather than prioritizing the safety of her patient, prioritized profit and politics. She probably should have reported the rape to authorities before even committing the abortion.
"The evidence strongly suggests that the doctor violated the mandatory reporting law, which required her to immediately report the child’s abuse to Indiana authorities," Rokita said in a statement. "Only by reporting to Indiana authorities immediately, as called for by statute, might the little girl have been spared from potentially being sent back to her perpetrator."