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| Indiana Abortionist Caitlin Bernard photo from Indiana University School of Medicine |
Bernard made the news last year for talking to the Indianapolis Star about the child's abortion. She did so to make a political argument against the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Records in the legal case brought by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita indicate Bernard went to the media before she reported the rape to state authorities.
On May 25, Indiana's Medical Licensing Board ruled that Bernard did not violate laws regarding the reporting of abuse, but she did violate the 10-year-old's privacy. Bernard has been formally reprimanded and faces a fine of $3,000. She was allowed to retain her medical license.
During the hearing, Bernard responded to a question asking why she felt it necessary to tell the media about her patient's rape and abortion. She responded,
“I think that it’s incredibly important for people to understand the real-world impacts of the laws of this country about abortion. I think it’s important for people to know what patients will have to go through because of legislation that is being passed, and a hypothetical does not make that impact.”
Rokita issued a statement praising the board's decision:
"Like we have said for a year, this case was about patient privacy and the trust between the doctor and patient that was broken. What if it was your child or your parent or your sibling who was going through a sensitive medical crisis, and the doctor, who you thought was on your side, ran to the press for political reasons? It’s not right, and the facts we presented today made that clear. We appreciate the Medical Licensing Board’s extraordinary time and consideration. My team did a great job getting the Truth out. Caitlin Bernard was found liable for violating state and federal patient privacy law on three separate counts."
