Dr. Caitlin Bernard dropped a lawsuit filed against Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to prevent him from investigating her after she performed an abortion on a 10-year-old from Ohio who was raped.
Related: [IU Health doctor caught in national debate in 10-year-old rape victim abortion]
In the lawsuit filed last month, Bernard argued the state attorney general office used consumer complaints from people who were not patients of Bernard to justify accessing patient medical records and investigating Bernard. The lawsuit was meant to prevent Rokita from obtaining medical records, including those of the 10-year-old child from Ohio. Lawyers for Bernard voluntarily dropped the last suit, according to court filings Thursday.
Marion County Judge Heather Welch ruled Rokita can continue the investigation against Bernard. He claimed that Bernard violated Indiana law by not reporting the girl’s abuse to authorities and violated patient privacy laws through conducting an interview with the Indianapolis Star about the girl’s treatment, according to CNN.
Related: [Dr. Caitlin Bernard sues Indiana AG Todd Rokita over patient records in abortion case]
However, Judge Welch ruled Dec. 2 Rokita had violated confidentiality laws by making statements in the media about the investigation before reporting it to the Medical Licensing Board. Kathleen DeLaney, Bernard’s lawyer, said Rokita dropped the investigation, and they will now focus on the complaint Rokita has filed with the licensing board against Bernard.
