Indiana board reprimands, fines doctor for speaking publicly about abortion for 10-year-old rape victim

Washington — Indiana's medical licensing board on Thursday issued a letter of reprimand and levied a fine against the obstetrician-gynecologist who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. The board concluded that Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated patient privacy laws when she discussed the procedure with a reporter.

The decision followed a lengthy meeting of the Indiana Medical Licensing Board, which ultimately found Bernard violated state privacy laws when she discussed the 10-year-old's case with a reporter for the Indianapolis Star. The board declined to suspend Bernard's license, but issued a $3,000 fine — $1,000 for each of the three counts she was found liable for — and the letter of reprimand.

The meeting, which stemmed from a complaint Attorney General Todd Rokita filed against the doctor in November, featured testimony from several witnesses, including Bernard herself.