INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WRTV) — Lawyers for an Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion for a 10-year-old rape victim have filed a cease-and-desist letter against Indiana's Attorney General Todd Rokita.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard's lawyer, Kathleen DeLaney, provided a copy of the letter sent to Rokita's office on Friday.
“Please cease and desist from making false and misleading statements about alleged misconduct by Dr. Bernard in her profession, which constitute defamation per se," the letter says. "Moreover, to the extent that any statement you make exceeds the general scope of your authority as Indiana’s Attorney General, such a statement forms the basis of an actionable defamation claim.”
Bernard's story garnered national attention after a newspaper connected her to a 10-year-old rape victim who allegedly traveled from Ohio to Indiana to have an abortion.
Rokita appeared on Fox News Wednesday evening, calling out Bernard and vowing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abortion and whether she had followed proper reporting procedures.
"We are investigating this situation and are waiting for the relevant documents to prove if the abortion and/or the abuse were reported, as Dr. Caitlin Bernard had requirements to do both under Indiana law," his statement read.
Shortly after his statement was made public, Bernard's attorney provided Scrrips station WRTV with the legal documents showing that she had properly reported the abortion within the legally required time frame.
The report also shows that the abortion was reported to the Indiana Department of Child Services and received by the Indiana Department of Health on July 2. Doctors in Indiana are required to submit the report within three days after the abortion if the patient is under 14.
After the records were publicly shared, Rokita's office issued a brief statement Friday morning saying their legal review "remains open" as they continue to gather "evidence."
This story was originally reported by Kaitlyn Kendall and Katie Cox on WRTV.com