10-year-old rape victim denied abortion in Ohio
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to rule in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, there’s been a hail storm of consequences. From scheduled abortion procedures being canceled without notice to emergency contraceptive purchases being limited, the ramifications have only just begun. One of the most recent stories making headlines is that of a 10-year-old rape victim who was denied an abortion in Ohio.
Ohio bans abortions for pregnancies past six weeks. Sources say the girl was six weeks and three days pregnant. After being denied in her home state, the victim and her family traveled to Indiana to have the procedure done. According to an article posted yesterday (July 3) by People, an obstetrician-gynecologist named Dr. Caitlin Bernard discussed how she recently terminated the child’s pregnancy. Bernard became aware of the girl’s situation last week.
While those seeking abortions can currently travel out of state for assistance if the procedure is banned where they live, that may soon change. As previously reported by REVOLT, some states have only enforced temporary protection until a final decision can be made. “It’s hard to imagine that in just a few short weeks we will have no ability to provide that care,” Dr. Bernard said.
Also, yesterday, while speaking during CNN’s “State of the Union” event, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was asked about her views on the child’s situation. CNN host Dana Bash asked the governor if South Dakota will “going forward, force a 10-year-old in that very same situation to have a baby.” While Noem did describe the child’s situation as “tragic,” she replied, “As much as we can talk about what we can do for that little girl, I think we also need to be addressing those sick individuals that do this to our children.” Noem added, “What I would say is, I don’t believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy. And so there’s more that we have got to do to make sure that we really are living a life that says every life is precious, especially innocent lives that have been shattered, like that 10-year-old girl.”
