On Wednesday, news broke that 27-year-old Gerson Fuentes, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, had been arrested and pleaded guilty to raping a 10-year-old Ohio girl who had traveled to Indiana to have an abortion. The story was weird from the beginning, with lots of red flags. Even with the arrest, questions remain, and perhaps most importantly, why the victim’s mother appears to be protecting Fuentes. There is no doubt that the media and pro-abortion Democrats have been shameless in calling on Republicans to doubt certain details of this story and to mislead about Ohio law in the center of it.
The news that a 10-year-old girl became pregnant as a result of a rape that may have occurred when she was nine years elderly the first one came Indianapolis star and then it spread like wild fire. There was a brief mention of Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an abortionist in Indiana, that “patients are going to Indiana for abortion services because other states are limiting care.” Bernard or the facility haven’t been very see-through about providing further details, to say the least. At first, even Ohio’s attorney general hadn’t heard of it.
Report from July 1 in the Indianapolis Star he claimed that “Buckeye State has banned all abortions after six weeks,” which is factually incorrect. The state banned most abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is about six weeks. There are exceptions to the mother’s medical condition or “medical emergency or necessity,” which Yost said refers to a 10-year-old girl.
The Columbus Dispatch, where the above story was published as “Because Ohio restricts abortion, a 10-year-old girl goes to Indiana for the procedure” he broke down message about Fuentes’ arrest. Both sites are sister sites to the USA Today Network.
Departure demanded further verification throwing Ohio Attorney General David Yost under the bus because he expressed doubts about the story before his arrest.
But that wasn’t enough. On Friday, the USA Today Twitter account posted an unusually congratulatory tweet:
After this story came out. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called it a fabrication.
However, Columbus Dispatch public safety reporter Bethany Bruner was the only reporter at the trial when a detective testified that the girl was taken to Indiana for an abortion.
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 15, 2022
“When commentators and politicians mock stories of child rape as ‘another lie’ or ‘untrue,’ we find the truth. Find her and report her. With great thought, care and concern,” writes Carroll. https://t.co/Rw0DbkzhqO
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 15, 2022
It wasn’t just a tweet though. There is a full article by USA Today Editor-in-Chief and Gannett News Division President Nicole Carroll: “Police coverage of Uvalde continues to change. The girl’s rape story was called a lie. We reported the truth.”
At the beginning she wrote:
The truth is difficult to accept: a 10-year-old girl is pregnant after being raped. Because she lives in Ohio, where abortions are severely restricted, she goes to a doctor in Indiana to have an abortion.
Our job is to report the truth.
Three of our local newsrooms, all members of the USA TODAY network, faced some difficult truths this week.
While Carroll’s article is somewhat more true than initial reports, she does not mention that Yost said the 10-year-old could have sought and received treatment in Ohio:
On July 1, the Indianapolis Star reported that Dr. Caitlin Bernard he said she was caring for a 10-year-old girl who wanted an abortion, sent to her by another doctor in Ohio. According to Bernard, the girl was six weeks and three days pregnant.
Ohio Law prohibits abortions once “cardiac activity” is detected, usually around six weeks. There are exceptions when the mother’s life is in danger. There are no exceptions for rape and incest. One could reasonably argue that pregnancy poses a health risk to a 10-year-old; nonetheless, she was shipped across state lines to Indiana.
Oddly enough, Carroll wrote that “[c]babies can start their period as as teenage as 8”, ignoring the crucial biological fact that only girls can menstruate.
Not only does the site issue a statement and publish an opinion piece to pat itself on the back for reporting that raised more questions than it answered, but it misrepresents what its critics have taken issue with.
As for the lack of complete answers, as well as lies and misrepresentations of facts, Democrats and other abortion advocates have thus presented the narrative that the 10-year-old was forced to leave Ohio and seek treatment elsewhere due to living conditions in her state’s abortion ban.
During Thursday’s pro-abortion hearing in the House Judiciary Committee – one of many – Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said during the hearing that the teenage girl had been “forced” to leave the country. His cross-examination of Democratic witness Sarah Warbelow of the Human Rights Council misrepresented Ohio’s abortion ban under oath, ironically after she was Swalwell asked to clear up “disinformation.”
Warbelow stated, “Furthermore, I think it is also important to note that Ohio law does not provide an exception for the life or health of the mother and that is what the 10-year-old had to cross state lines to receive the miscarriage grant.”
But there is more to Dr. Bernard than what the news agency tells its readers.
As Matt reported on Friday, Dr. Bernard incorrectly listed Fuentes as 17 years elderly in her official report to the Indiana State Department of Health. Fox News Digital News received an official notification on Thursday.
However, The Indianapolis Star continues to strive to protect Dr. Bernard with positive reporting, not just an opinion piece that reads:Dr. Caitlin Bernard’s right to protect 10-year-old rape victim”, but also reporting it did not violate HIPAA, although there are other reports indicated was fined for such a violation. Hopefully more will be released via FOIA requests.
Reports from The Indianapolis Star. he admittedin one of the last paragraphs that Dr. Bernard incorrectly gave the accused rapist’s age as 17:
“The form shows that the doctor did not know the age of the ‘father.’ In such cases, doctors are required to enter the “approximate age,” according to a person familiar with the electronic reporting system. Bernard entered “17.”
Even if Dr. Bernard truly didn’t know Fuentes’ age, it’s interesting that she was entering an age where he would also be a minor.
Dr. Bernard’s lawyer, Kathleen Delaney, he is adamant her client followed the law and claims the abortionist is considering taking legal action:
“She followed all applicable policies, procedures and regulations in this case, as she does every day, to ensure that her patients receive the best care possible,” Delaney said. “She did not violate any law, including patient privacy laws, and was not disciplined by her employer. We are considering taking legal action against those who slandered my client, including Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and we know all the facts will come to light. come out at the right time.”
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, as Madeline reported, is seeking to investigate Dr. Bernard to ensure she complied with the law in her reporting. Dr. Bernard was accused of failing to report abortions of minors in the past.
Moreover, the “right time” to reveal the facts should have been much earlier. Time will tell whether these investigations or lawsuits will continue.
