Doctor Who Provided Abortion To Raped 10-Year-Old Gives First TV Interview

Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the Indiana physician whom Republicans targeted for providing a legal abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim, made her first televised appearance Tuesday since the ordeal unfolded.

Bernard, who cared for the child from Ohio because her home state has outlawed abortion since the fall of Roe v. Wade last month, said in a sit-down interview with CBS Evening News Norah ODonnell that anyone who doubts children need abortion care should spend a day in my clinic.

Unfortunately, sexual assault in children is not uncommon, she said. Im not the only provider who has taken care of young children needing abortion care.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who according to Indiana state records provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim, opens up about being attacked by the states attorney general who said he plans to investigate her. pic.twitter.com/FMHj74se1y

CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 26, 2022","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"CBS Evening News","author_url":"https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews","cache_age":86400,"description":"EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who according to Indiana state records provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim, opens up about being attacked by the states attorney general who said he plans to investigate her. pic.twitter.com/FMHj74se1y CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 26, 2022\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":540,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1552064793657462785/img/SsDtR8dL9oemMXgK.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":960,"title":"CBS Evening News on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1552064864000024579","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"62e07604e4b000da2405ab70","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/caitlin-bernard-abortion-interview_n_62e07604e4b000da2405ab70","entryTagsList":"abortion-rights,child-rape,caitlin-bernard","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"health,women","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/929c2b51-e3cc-4452-9af7-96331320459d/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"62e07604e4b000da2405ab70","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"abortion rights","slug":"abortion-rights","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/abortion-rights","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/abortion-rights","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/abortion-rights"},"section":{"title":"Women","slug":"women"},"topic":{"title":"Abortion-Rights","slug":"abortion-rights","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/abortion-rights"},{"name":"child rape","slug":"child-rape","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/child-rape","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/child-rape","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/child-rape"},"section":{"title":"Women","slug":"women"},"topic":{"title":"Rape Culture","slug":"rape-culture","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/rape-culture"},{"name":"Caitlin Bernard","slug":"caitlin-bernard","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/caitlin-bernard","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/caitlin-bernard","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/caitlin-bernard"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/caitlin-bernard"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who according to Indiana state records provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim, opens up about being attacked by the states attorney general who said he plans to investigate her. pic.twitter.com/FMHj74se1y
CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 26, 2022

Her remarks come after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appeared on Fox News earlier this month casting doubt on the existence of Bernards patient, whose health care needs had been reported on in The Indianapolis Star . There was not a whisper anywhere of a 10-year-old being raped in Ohio, Yost claimed. Media investigations, however, confirmed the rape case days later.

Bernard also pushed back on attacks from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who assailed her on Fox News as an abortion activist acting as a doctor with a history of failing to report an abortion performed for a minor, adding that he would possibly pursue charges against her.

Im a physician, she said. I spent my entire life working to have this position to be able to take care of patients every single day.

She reiterated, as she did in a defamation lawsuit against Rokita, that she has never failed to report an abortion on a patient younger than 16 to Indiana authorities, as the state requires.

Bernard says she believes the spotlight on her patients case may be a wake-up call for people who wanted strict abortion bans to go into effect, as they have in about a dozen states so far.