Medical Board Fines Doctor Who Publicized 10-Year-Old's Abortion Case
AllSides Summary
An Indiana doctor who made national news last year after publicizing a 10-year-old's abortion case violated the patient's privacy, according to a state board.
The Details: Indiana's Medical Licensing Board said Dr. Caitlin Bernard broke privacy laws by telling a newspaper reporter about the girl’s abortion. The board fined Bernard $3,000, but didn't suspend her license. Bernard has denied wrongdoing.
Key Quotes: Indiana's deputy attorney general said "everyone – the country – learned about her patient. Learned a 10-year-old little girl was raped and had an abortion." Bernard said she "did not release any protected health information. I complied with all patient confidentiality and HIPAA laws to the best of my knowledge."
For Context: The story made headlines last July after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The victim reportedly went to Indiana for the procedure due to abortion restrictions in her home state of Ohio. For supporters of abortion, the story resembled a tragic new post-Roe norm. Some conservatives focused more on how the girl's accused rapist is an unauthorized immigrant.
How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the news. Right-rated sources often mentioned that the alleged rapist was in the country illegally, and some framed Bernard as having recklessly sought fame. Left-rated sources didn't, and some instead framed her as the target of unwarranted Republican animosity. Similar splits in coverage occurred when the story first broke last year.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Indiana Doctor Who Performed Abortion on Ten-Year-Old Rape Victim Disciplined by Medical Board
Indiana’s medical licensing board found Caitlin Bernard, an OBGYN who performed an abortion on a ten-year-old Ohio rape victim last year, broke patient privacy laws when she told a reporter about the child’s procedure.
The board gave Bernard a letter of reprimand on Thursday and issued her a $3,000 fine for violating ethical standards and state laws by sharing information about the case with a reporter from the Indianapolis Star. While Bernard’s story was initially met with skepticism last year, a 27-year-old Ohio man was arrested for felony rape after confessing to the crime just two...
From the Center
Indiana Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated girl's privacy in abortion case, medical board finds
The Indiana Medical Licensing Board found an Indianapolis doctor violated privacy laws in her handling of a 10-year-old abortion patient’s information last summer but cleared her of the charge that she failed to report abuse of the girl quickly enough.
The case, brought by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, could have cost Dr. Caitlin Bernard her license but the seven-member board found her fit to continue practicing medicine. Most of the board agreed on the privacy laws issue, and they unanimously agreed on the reporting charge. She will be fined $3,000 and...
From the Left
Indiana doctor reprimanded for talking publicly about Ohio 10-year-old’s abortion
An Indiana board decided Thursday night to reprimand an Indianapolis doctor after finding that she violated patient privacy laws by talking publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from neighboring Ohio.
The state Medical Licensing Board voted that Dr. Caitlin Bernard didn’t abide by privacy laws when she told a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment in a case that became a flashpoint in the national abortion debate days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer.
The board, however, rejected accusations from Indiana’s Republican attorney general that...
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