The Indiana physician who offered an abortion for a 10-year-old woman final month is preventing again in opposition to solutions that she made up the story and did not file acceptable paperwork.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
The heated politics round abortion for the reason that Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade have crystallized in latest weeks within the case of a 10-year-old Ohio woman. Her personal trauma has turn out to be the main target of intense public debate. This is President Biden’s remarks from July 8.
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PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Simply final week, it was reported {that a} 10-year-old woman was a rape sufferer – 10 years outdated – and she or he was compelled to should journey out of the state to Indiana to hunt to terminate the being pregnant and possibly save her life.
RASCOE: Some opponents of abortion rights questioned the story’s veracity till a person was charged with the woman’s rape in Ohio only a few days in the past. Now the physician who carried out the abortion has come beneath assault from a high official in her state. Right here to clarify is Sarah McCammon, who covers reproductive rights for NPR. Hello, Sarah.
SARAH MCCAMMON, BYLINE: Good morning.
RASCOE: So inform us about this physician.
MCCAMMON: Properly, Dr. Caitlin Bernard is an OB-GYN and abortion supplier in Indiana. And her story caught consideration after she informed The Indianapolis Star about offering care to the 10-year-old woman. She was proper round six weeks pregnant when Ohio’s set off ban prohibiting almost all abortions after about six weeks took impact in response to final month’s Supreme Court docket resolution overturning Roe v. Wade. Now, many outstanding conservatives got here after Dr. Bernard to query her credibility. And amongst them was Indiana’s Republican legal professional basic, Todd Rokita. On Fox Information, he steered with out offering proof that Bernard had damaged an Indiana legislation that requires medical doctors to report abortion procedures.
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TODD ROKITA: We’ve got this abortion activist appearing as a physician with a historical past of failing to report. So we’re gathering the knowledge. We’re gathering the proof as we communicate. And we will battle this to the top.
MCCAMMON: However in reality, NPR and different media retailers have obtained documentation that Dr. Bernard certainly filed the suitable paperwork on this case. I’ve that report. It is dated July 2. She informed the state she’d offered a medicine abortion on June 30 for the 10-year-old abuse sufferer who was about six weeks pregnant. In the meantime, the Indiana College Well being System, the place Dr. Bernard is employed, issued an announcement on Friday saying they’d carried out a evaluation into whether or not she’d violated any privateness legal guidelines and located her to be in full compliance.
RASCOE: And the way is Dr. Bernard responding to all of this consideration and these assaults that she’s going through?
MCCAMMON: Thus far, she’s speaking largely by her spokespeople. However on Twitter, she mentioned that, quote, “My coronary heart breaks for all survivors of sexual assault and abuse. I’m so unhappy that our nation is failing them once they want us most.” She additionally mentioned she hopes to have the ability to inform her story quickly. On Friday, by her legal professional, Dr. Bernard despatched a cease-and-desist letter to Indiana Legal professional Basic Rokita, demanding that he, quote, “please stop and desist from making false and deceptive statements” about her. The letter characterised his statements as defamatory and threatened authorized motion. And, Ayesha, I ought to say that is necessary as a result of a spokeswoman has confirmed to NPR that Bernard had confronted threats in opposition to her household up to now. And, in fact, different abortion suppliers have confronted violence and even been killed. So these statements are a security concern for her.
RASCOE: Sarah, you simply returned from a reporting journey in Texas. It is a state, like Ohio, with no abortion exception for rape or incest. What is the response to this there?
MCCAMMON: Proper. I spent a while within the Houston space up to now few days interviewing of us who work for a few organizations that oppose abortion rights and likewise work to assist pregnant ladies and new moms with each materials and emotional assets. One among them, Pam Whitehead, is govt director of a Christian group referred to as ProLove Ministries that counsels ladies in opposition to abortion. She informed me that whereas this can be a horrific scenario and she or he believes the rapist needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the legislation, she additionally mentioned that her opposition to abortion is absolute.
PAM WHITEHEAD: I believe abortion shouldn’t be an choice for anybody beneath any circumstances. So to reply your query, I believe abortion shouldn’t be authorized in any circumstances – so not simply this circumstance.
RASCOE: So she does not assist abortion even within the lifetime of the mom?
MCCAMMON: She mentioned she does not consider that is ever needed. After all, many, many medical consultants would disagree and would say that it’s generally essential to terminate a being pregnant to protect a lady’s well being or life. Curiously, although, one of many ladies I spoke to in Texas at a maternity dwelling run by Whitehead’s group informed me she’s very involved about this. She mentioned she herself didn’t need an abortion, and she or he’s grateful for the assistance she’s getting. However she could not perceive how anybody may ask a 10-year-old woman to undergo with a being pregnant or be a mother or father.
RASCOE: What does this case that we have been speaking about inform us concerning the authorized battlegrounds which are taking form after Roe?
MCCAMMON: Properly, there are battles going down at each degree of presidency over this difficulty. You see battle between completely different state legal guidelines, completely different insurance policies relying on the place you reside. We may even see extra makes an attempt by Republican officers to go after abortion suppliers, for instance. And we’re seeing state and federal battle, as properly. This week, the Biden administration tried to make clear protections for well being care suppliers, particularly those that present abortions or different reproductive well being care in emergency conditions. And in response to that, Texas Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration. So we’re seeing officers who oppose abortion rights persevering with to attempt in a number of methods to limit it.
RASCOE: That is NPR’s Sarah McCammon, who covers reproductive rights. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.
MCCAMMON: Thanks.
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