Indiana doctor threatens to sue state prosecutor for defamation in 10-year-old's abortion case

July 19 (Reuters) - An Indiana doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim threatened to sue Indiana's attorney general for defamation on Tuesday, filing a claim alleging that he made "false and misleading" statements about her handling of the case.

The case prompted a national outcry and scrutiny after the Indianapolis Star newspaper published a story, based on Indiana Dr. Caitlin Bernard's account, of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion because an Ohio law banned the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, said last week that he was investigating whether Bernard had abided by state laws requiring doctors to report the termination of a pregnancy and suspected cases of child abuse, and whether she had violated federal patient privacy laws.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/indiana-doctor-threatens-sue-state-prosecutor-defamation-10-year-olds-abortion-2022-07-19/