The Indiana Medical Licensing Board in the midwestern United States has opened a disciplinary hearing against a doctor after she spoke out about offering abortion care to a 10-year-old rape victim last June.
The doctor, Caitlin Bernard, initially told her story to The Indianapolis Star newspaper to illustrate the immediate effects of a Supreme Court decision to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion.
That story sparked a national outcry, with abortion rights activists denouncing the hurdles the 10-year-old faced and opponents blasting Bernard for her actions.
At Thursday’s hearing, the board heard a complaint from Indiana’s Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican and opponent of abortion rights, accusing Bernard of violating both state and federal law.
The complaint seeks “appropriate disciplinary action” against Bernard. The board is empowered to suspend or even…
