Skip to content

Republish This Story

* Please read before republishing *

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which require that you credit The 19th and retain our pixel. See our full guidelines for more information.

To republish, simply copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to The 19th. Have questions? Please email [email protected].

— The Editors

Loading...

Modal Gallery

/
Sign up for our newsletter

Menu

  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships
    • From the Collection

      Changing Child Care

      Illustration of a woman feeding a baby a bottle
      • As climate change worsens hurricane season in Louisiana, doulas are ensuring parents can safely feed their babies

        Jessica Kutz · May 5
      • Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito argued abortion isn’t an economic issue. But is that true?

        Chabeli Carrazana · May 4
      • Pregnant people are at 'greater risk' in states hit hard by wildfire smoke, air pollution, new report shows

        Jessica Kutz · April 20
    • From the Collection

      Next-Gen GOP

      Illustration of a woman riding an elephant
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • A banner year for Republican women

        Amanda Becker · November 11
      • Republican women could double representation in the U.S. House

        Amanda Becker · November 4
    • From the Collection

      On The Rise

      Illustration of three women marching
      • Judge J. Michelle Childs is confirmed to D.C. appeals court

        Candice Norwood · July 20
      • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s swearing in makes history during unprecedented time for the Supreme Court

        Candice Norwood · June 30
      • Biden’s new environmental justice office aims to tackle the health impacts disproportionately faced by people of color

        Jessica Kutz · June 2
    • From the Collection

      Pandemic Within a Pandemic

      Illustration of four people marching for Black Lives Matter with coronavirus as the backdrop
      • Some LGBTQ+ people worry that the COVID-19 vaccine will affect HIV medication. It won’t.

        Orion Rummler · November 23
      • Why are more men dying from COVID? It’s a complicated story of nature vs. nurture, researchers say

        Mariel Padilla · September 22
      • Few incarcerated women were released during COVID. The ones who remain have struggled.

        Candice Norwood · August 17
    • From the Collection

      Portraits of a Pandemic

      Illustration of a woman wearing a mask and holding up the coronavirus
      • For family caregivers, COVID is a mental health crisis in the making

        Shefali Luthra · October 8
      • A new database tracks COVID-19’s effects on sex and gender

        Shefali Luthra · September 15
      • Pregnant in a pandemic: The 'perfect storm for a crisis'

        Shefali Luthra · August 25
    • From the Collection

      The 19th Explains

      People walking from many articles to one article where they can get the context they need on an issue.
      • The 19th Explains: Why some trigger laws still aren’t in effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned

        Jasmine Mithani · July 6
      • The 19th Explains: How pregnant people can prepare for a summer of heat waves

        Jessica Kutz · June 17
      • The 19th Explains: How new Title IX guidelines on sexual misconduct may give more help to survivors

        Nadra Nittle · June 14
    • From the Collection

      The Electability Myth

      Illustration of three women speaking at podiums
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • Stepping in after tragedy: How political wives became widow lawmakers

        Mariel Padilla · May 24
      • Do term limits help women candidates? New York could be a new testing ground

        Barbara Rodriguez · January 11
    • From the Collection

      The Impact of Aging

      A number of older people walking down a path of information.
      • 'I'm planning on working until the day I die': Older women voters are worried about the future

        Mariel Padilla · June 3
      • Climate change is forcing care workers to act as first responders

        Jessica Kutz · May 31
      • Woman alleges that an assisted living facility denied her admission because she is transgender

        Sara Luterman · November 8
    • From the Collection

      Voting Rights

      A series of hands reaching for ballots.
      • ‘There are a lot of people who don’t want to know the truth’: Why an Arizona election official is leaving her job

        Barbara Rodriguez · July 18
      • Abortion is directly on the ballot in at least five states this year

        Barbara Rodriguez · July 15
      • States add early voting, and women could benefit — but it’s complicated

        Barbara Rodriguez · June 16

    View all collections

  • Explore by Topic

    • Abortion
    • Business & Economy
    • Caregiving
    • Coronavirus
    • Education
    • Election 2020
    • Elections 2022
    • Environment & Climate
    • Health
    • Immigration
    • Inside The 19th
    • Justice
    • LGBTQ+
    • Politics
    • Press Release
    • Race
    • Sports
    • Technology

    View All Topics

Home
  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships

We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Read our story.

The 19th News(letter)

News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday.

You have been subscribed!

Submitting...

Uh-oh! Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Donate to get our member newsletter

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

An ultrasound machine sits next to an exam table in an examination room at an Indiana abortion clinic.
An ultrasound machine sits next to an exam table in an examination room at Whole Woman's Health of South Bend, Indiana. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Abortion

Indiana doctor performed abortion for a 10-year-old girl, document shows

The veracity of a story of a 10-year-old girl who was raped and got an abortion has been debated in the media, though a document confirms details of the story.

Jennifer Gerson

Reporter

Jennifer Gerson headshot

Published

2022-07-14 17:34
5:34
July 14, 2022
pm

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

This story is developing.

For the past two weeks, the veracity of a story of a 10-year-old girl who was raped and got an abortion has been debated in the media. But a document reviewed by The 19th shows that the Indiana physician who performed the abortion submitted record of it to the Indiana Department of Health and the Department of Child Services. 

A terminated pregnancy report — a document all physicians providing abortions must submit to the state of Indiana — confirms details Dr. Caitlin Bernard gave to the Indianapolis Star in a July 1 story. 

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

Bernard said she performed an abortion for a 10-year-old girl who was raped and had to travel from her home in Ohio to Indiana due to Ohio’s newly implemented six-week abortion ban. The document reviewed by The 19th confirms that Bernard reported an abortion for a 10-year-old who she indicated had been sexually abused. The 27-year old Guatemalan national accused of raping the 10-year old was arrested on Tuesday. 

The story drew national attention. Some pointed at it to show the impact of abortion bans; others questioned its veracity, and Bernard faced public criticism, media scrutiny and even threats of investigation. In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced he was investigating Bernard, claiming the abortion provider had a “history of failing to report” abortion services she had provided and that his office would be looking into whether proper documentation existed for this particular abortion. The document reviewed by The 19th confirms that Bernard did in fact file the required documentation by the state deadline.

In addition to being the subject of a state investigation, Bernard has also been doxxed and faced death threats by anti-abortion activists who claimed that Bernard had fabricated details. The story of the girl’s rape and abortion were referenced by President Joe Biden when he announced the signing of a new executive order meant to help protect abortion rights last week. 

In a statement, Bernard’s attorney Kathleen DeLaney said, “My client, Dr. Caitlin Bernard, took every appropriate and proper action in accordance with the law and both her medical and ethical training as a physician. She followed all relevant policies, procedures, and regulations in this case, just as she does every day to provide the best possible care for her patients. She has not violated any law, including patient privacy laws, and she has not been disciplined by her employer. We are considering legal action against those who have smeared my client, including Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and know that the facts will all come out in due time.”

Per the original Star report, the minor was allegedly raped on May 12 in Ohio. On June 22, the child’s mother reported the assault to child services in Ohio. On June 30, the girl then traveled to Indianapolis to obtain an abortion. She was six weeks and three days pregnant, and thus no longer eligible for an abortion in her home state as a result of the six-week ban. The document reviewed by The 19th corroborates this timeline.

The 2021 annual report produced by the state of Indiana based on the annual termination of pregnancy filings stated that last year, 8,414 abortions were performed in Indiana. Of those, 7,949 were obtained by state residents. Sixty-eight percent of abortions performed in Indiana in 2021 were performed before eight weeks gestational age, and 0.8 percent of all abortions were performed on minors under the age of 16.

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

The 19th News(letter)

News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday.

You have been subscribed!

Submitting...

Uh-oh! Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Donate to get our member newsletter

Up Next

In this illustration, two people hug each other. In the background, a window reminiscent of an airplane or train window is seen. The window seems to be closing. The shadows in the picture are heavy and evoke a feeling of unease and uncertainty.

Abortion

IVF patients started moving their embryos out of states with abortion bans when Roe fell

Fertility patients are beginning to move their frozen embryos to states that protect abortion, worried that abortion laws could strip them of their choices.

Read the Story

The 19th
The 19th is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Our stories are free to republish in accordance with these guidelines.

  • Donate
  • Subscribe to the Newsletter
  • Attend an Event
  • Jobs
  • Fellowships
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Community Guidelines
  • Membership
  • Membership FAQ
  • Major Gifts
  • Sponsorship
  • Privacy
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram