Indiana doctor set to sue AG who threatened to indict him for abortion of 10-year-old girl

Rokita’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last week, the Republican attorney general released a statement saying his office was investigating Bernard, specifically whether she reported the abortion to the health and child services departments within the required three-day window. .

The threat of lawsuits came just three weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade and highlighted how local authorities could hijack the national conversation by targeting doctors.

In a statement that remains on her website – even after news outlets including POLITICO obtained documents showing she reported the abortion – Rokita warned: “Failure to do so constitutes a crime. in Indiana, and his behavior could also affect his license.

Bernard’s legal filing does not specify the amount she will seek from the state, but it does state that she « intends to seek damages for security costs, legal fees, breaches of reputation and emotional distress ».

Bernard’s spokeswoman, Kendra Barkoff, told POLITICO that her client has faced « personal and dangerous threats » against her and her family since Rokita publicly accused her of wrongdoing.