INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana doctor is facing a disciplinary hearing at the state’s Medical Licensing Board after she spoke publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio last year.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Doctor who provided abortion for 10-year-old Ohio girl is under investigation
Dr. Caitlin Bernard is accused by the Indiana Attorney General of violating Indiana state law by not reporting the girls’ child abuse to Indiana authorities and breaking federal patient privacy laws by telling a news reporter about the girl’s treatment, according to the Associated Press.
Her attorneys say the doctor followed Indiana’s child abuse reporting requirements as the girl’s rape was being investigated by Ohio authorities, the AP reported in November.
Bernard’s lawyers also said she did not release any information about the girl that would break privacy laws.
The story sparked national attention last summer in the weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and put into effect Ohio’s ‘heartbeat’ abortion law outlawing the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, the AP said.
Ohio’s ‘heartbeat’ abortion law was blocked by the First District Court of Appeals back in December.
>>RELATED: Columbus man charged in rape of 10-year-old girl who sought abortion in Indiana
News Center 7 reported last year a Columbus man was charged with impregnating a 10-year-old girl whose story of traveling to Indiana for an abortion led to international attention.
Gerson Fuentes, 27, has been charged with two felony counts of rape involving a 10-year-old victim, according to Franklin County Court records.
His next court date has been set for July 5 at the Franklin County Common Pleas Court.