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Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

We Never Know

No Slack
Just when you think its gone away, it come flying back in with a different angle.

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

"Indianapolis (AP) — Indiana's Republican attorney general on Wednesday asked the state medical licensing board to discipline an Indianapolis doctor who has spoken publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio after its more-restrictive abortion law took effect.

The complaint alleges Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated state law by not reporting the girl’s child abuse to Indiana authorities and violated patient privacy laws by telling a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment.

That account sparked a national political uproar in the weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, with some news outlets and Republican politicians falsely suggesting Bernard fabricated the story and President Joe Biden nearly shouting his outrage over the case during a White House event."

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Of course.
Physicians have the obligation to denounce whenever a 10 year old gets pregnant.
Sex with a minor is illegal in the US and in Europe, and especially if it deals with prepuberal age.

So yes, deontologically, the physician is to be held accountable for not calling law enforcement.

As for telling the press, she has not revealed the name of the victim, so nobody's privacy has been violated.
 
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We Never Know

No Slack
Of course.
Physicians have the obligation to denounce whenever a 10 year old gets pregnant.
Sex with a minor is illegal in the US and in Europe, and especially if it deals with prepuberal age.

So yes, deontologically, the physician is to be held accountable for not calling law enforcement.

As for telling the press, she has not revealed the name of the victim, so no privacy has been violated.

From the link...

"Bernard and her lawyers maintain the girl’s abuse had already been reported to Ohio police and child protective services officials before the doctor ever saw the child. A 27-year-old man has been charged in Columbus, Ohio, with raping the girl.

Bernard’s lawyers argue Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who is stridently anti-abortion, has been spreading false or misleading information about the doctor with his investigation allegations for several months."
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
From the link...

"Bernard and her lawyers maintain the girl’s abuse had already been reported to Ohio police and child protective services officials before the doctor ever saw the child. A 27-year-old man has been charged in Columbus, Ohio, with raping the girl.

Bernard’s lawyers argue Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who is stridently anti-abortion, has been spreading false or misleading information about the doctor with his investigation allegations for several months."
Then the physician is not to be held accountable for anything.
She has cooperated with justice and deserves acknowledgment.
 

Orbit

I'm a planet
Just when you think its gone away, it come flying back in with a different angle.

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

"Indianapolis (AP) — Indiana's Republican attorney general on Wednesday asked the state medical licensing board to discipline an Indianapolis doctor who has spoken publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio after its more-restrictive abortion law took effect.

The complaint alleges Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated state law by not reporting the girl’s child abuse to Indiana authorities and violated patient privacy laws by telling a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment.

That account sparked a national political uproar in the weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, with some news outlets and Republican politicians falsely suggesting Bernard fabricated the story and President Joe Biden nearly shouting his outrage over the case during a White House event."

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

I read about this when it happened, and the doctor did all the required notifications, and was in the process of suing this guy for defamation for insisting she didn't.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I read about this when it happened, and the doctor did all the required notifications, and was in the process of suing this guy for defamation for insisting she didn't.
When government thugs can't successfully
prosecute, it's common to falsely charge people
anyway. They expect Qualified Immunity to keep
them safe for such illegal extra-judicial tools.
Persecute if ya can't prosecute, eh.
 
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lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
It's pretty rich when part of the complaint is around the doctor furthering her political agenda...as stated by an elected official with clearly held religious and political agendas.
 

Wildswanderer

Veteran Member
Just when you think its gone away, it come flying back in with a different angle.

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

"Indianapolis (AP) — Indiana's Republican attorney general on Wednesday asked the state medical licensing board to discipline an Indianapolis doctor who has spoken publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio after its more-restrictive abortion law took effect.

The complaint alleges Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated state law by not reporting the girl’s child abuse to Indiana authorities and violated patient privacy laws by telling a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment.

That account sparked a national political uproar in the weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, with some news outlets and Republican politicians falsely suggesting Bernard fabricated the story and President Joe Biden nearly shouting his outrage over the case during a White House event."

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion
Good. No one should get away with raping a child.
 

Ponder This

Well-Known Member
Just when you think its gone away, it come flying back in with a different angle.

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

"Indianapolis (AP) — Indiana's Republican attorney general on Wednesday asked the state medical licensing board to discipline an Indianapolis doctor who has spoken publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio after its more-restrictive abortion law took effect.

The complaint alleges Dr. Caitlin Bernard violated state law by not reporting the girl’s child abuse to Indiana authorities and violated patient privacy laws by telling a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment.

That account sparked a national political uproar in the weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, with some news outlets and Republican politicians falsely suggesting Bernard fabricated the story and President Joe Biden nearly shouting his outrage over the case during a White House event."

Penalty asked for doctor who spoke of 10-year-old's abortion

Let me see if I understand this...

1. A 10-year old was raped.
2. She went to a doctor and received an abortion.
3. That doctor then went and made her operation public...
(presumably without consent).
4. The AG asked the Medical Licensing Board to discipline the doctor for violating the patient's right to doctor-patient confidentiality.
5. The story of this girl has also been directly politicized as a consequence of the doctor's actions to such an extent that President Biden referred to the girl in an angry political speech.

The girl was raped, had an abortion, and then her doctor talked to a reporter about her operation. What disciplinary action is appropriate for Dr Caitlin Bernard?
 

HonestJoe

Well-Known Member
Let me see if I understand this...

1. A 10-year old was raped.
2. She went to a doctor and received an abortion.
3. That doctor then went and made her operation public...
(presumably without consent).
4. The AG asked the Medical Licensing Board to discipline the doctor for violating the patient's right to doctor-patient confidentiality.
5. The story of this girl has also been directly politicized as a consequence of the doctor's actions to such an extent that President Biden referred to the girl in an angry political speech.

The girl was raped, had an abortion, and then her doctor talked to a reporter about her operation. What disciplinary action is appropriate for Dr Caitlin Bernard?
Not exactly.

The girl was raped in Ohio. She went to a doctor in Ohio and around that point, the case was reported to the legal authorities in Ohio (ultimately leading to a suspect being identified and charged).

The doctors in Ohio concluded (correctly or not) that the recent Ohio laws prevented them from legally performing an abortion for the girl so they contacted a doctor in Indiana and arranged for the girl to travel there for her abortion.

The Indiana doctor spoke to a journalists about the case in abstract, in the context of abortion laws and their real-world impacts. She didn't reveal anything that would allow the child to be identified (and some of her opponents actually demanded more detail, accusing her of making it up). It was actually the criminal case in Ohio that came closest to identifying the family, given that the suspect was the mother's partner and especially when a "journalist" door-stepped the mother on camera.

The specifics of the Indiana medical privacy laws and regulations will be key but in general, I'm not sure what the doctor actually said publicly generally wouldn't cross the line.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Let me see if I understand this...

1. A 10-year old was raped.
2. She went to a doctor and received an abortion.
3. That doctor then went and made her operation public...
(presumably without consent).
4. The AG asked the Medical Licensing Board to discipline the doctor for violating the patient's right to doctor-patient confidentiality.
5. The story of this girl has also been directly politicized as a consequence of the doctor's actions to such an extent that President Biden referred to the girl in an angry political speech.

The girl was raped, had an abortion, and then her doctor talked to a reporter about her operation. What disciplinary action is appropriate for Dr Caitlin Bernard?

Since she hasn't mentioned the name of the victim, nobody's privacy was violated.
A physician has the obligation to denounce a rape, or any news of crime they witness to, while performing their duties.
I guess some American citizens tend not to understand that criminal law is public law. It is not private law, something to keep secret.
 
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wellwisher

Well-Known Member
Then the physician is not to be held accountable for anything.
She has cooperated with justice and deserves acknowledgment.

Were the girl's parents involved in this decision, and was there money exchanged for the services? Minors cannot enter into contracts without parental consent and Doctors are supposed to maintain the privacy of their patients.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Were the girl's parents involved in this decision, and was there money exchanged for the services? Minors cannot enter into contracts without parental consent and Doctors are supposed to maintain the privacy of their patients.
It is the parents that should have gone to the police and denounced the rape.
Have they done it?

It is an obligation, whenever such serious crimes are committed towards a minor.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Since she hasn't mentioned the name of the victim, nobody's privacy was violated.
A physician has the obligation to denounce a rape, or any news of crime they witness to, while performing their duties.
There's no obligation, either legal or moral,
denounce crimes. But if not already reported,
there's a legal duty to report it to authorities.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
What matters is that it's reported.
Who reports it would depend upon
how the rape was discovered.
If by the doc, the doc would report
it, relieving the parents of that job.

It depends on who the rapist is.
If the rapist is the parent...of course he will never turn himself in.
Not in this case, fortunately.

But in my country there is the obligation to report a rape, especially if it deals with a minor with prepuberal age.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
It depends on who the rapist is.
You're not addressing the post you responded to....
What matters is that it's reported.
Who reports it would depend upon
how the rape was discovered.
If by the doc, the doc would report
it, relieving the parents of that job.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
You're not addressing the post you responded to....
What matters is that it's reported.
Who reports it would depend upon
how the rape was discovered.
If by the doc, the doc would report
it, relieving the parents of that job.

Okay...let's give a practical example. The little girl tells her own mother that Mr X (their neighbor) has just raped her.
The mother does nothing.
Is that admissible in the United States?
Will this mother face zero judicial consequences?

Because in my country she will face them. Penal Trial.
 
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