INDIANAPOLIS - An Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio took the first step Tuesday toward suing Indiana's attorney general for defamation.Dr.
Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist who gave the girl a medication-induced abortion on June 30, filed a tort claim notice over what she says are false statements that Attorney General Todd Rokita has made about her and her work.Bernard received widespread attention after she gave an interview to the Indianapolis Star about the child, who traveled to Indiana from Ohio for the abortion.
A so-called fetal heartbeat law took effect in Ohio last month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Such laws ban abortions from the time a fetus' cardiac activity can be detected, which is typically around the sixth week of pregnancy.A 27-year-old man was charged last week in Columbus, Ohio, with raping the girl, confirming the existence of a case that was initially met with skepticism by some news outlets and Republican politicians.FILE - Abortion-rights demonstrators hold placards expressing their opinion during a protest march before the Fourth of July Parade in Bloomington, Ind. (Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Bernard's lawyer, Kathleen DeLaney, filed the "tort claim notice" against Rokita just days after she sent a cease and desist letter.
The claim starts a 90-day period for the state to settle it. If it's not settled, Bernard could file a lawsuit. The claim didn't say how much money Bernard is seeking, noting that "the harm is ongoing.""Mr.