On Monday, after suspicion had mounted that the story President Biden referenced of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was raped and impregnated ...
On Monday, after suspicion had mounted that the story President Biden referenced of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was raped and impregnated was fictional, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost reportedly went farther than his previous statements, asserting that his office had no evidence of such a case and no evidence of any request for lab results.
The story Biden told claimed the girl had traveled to Indiana for an abortion because Ohio forbid such a procedure; Yost reportedly pointed out that Ohio law would have permitted an abortion in a case like that.
In his July 8 remarks, Biden stated, “What we’re witnessing is a giant step backwards in much of our country.” After citing 13 states implementing abortion bans and twelve more states likely to follow, he continued, “… in a number of these states, the laws are so extreme they have raised the threat of criminal penalties for doctors and healthcare providers. They’re so extreme that many don’t allow for exceptions, even for rape or incest.”
Then he segued to the July 1 story from the Indianapolis Star which claimed Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Caitlan Bernard had been alerted by an Ohio “child abuse doctor” about the supposed 10-year-old girl. Biden proclaimed:
This isn’t some imagined horror. It’s already happening. Just last week, it was reported that a 10-year-old girl was a rape victim in Ohio — 10 years old — and she was forced to have to travel out of the state, to Indiana, to seek to terminate the presnency [pregnancy] and maybe save her life. That’s — the last part is my judgment. Ten years old. Ten years old. Raped, six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized. Was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl. Just — I’m serious — just imagine being that little girl. Ten years old.
The Washington Post noted that Bernard was the only source for the story, which went viral and was repeated around the world. The Post also reported that Ohio law would require a doctor to report any case of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect of a child, whether proven or suspected, to the local child welfare or law enforcement agency.
Ashe Schow of The Daily Wire reported on Saturday:
The Daily Wire reached out to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and a spokesperson noted that allegations of child abuse are not public record, “including acknowledging whether an allegation has been made.” The spokesperson also said that Ohio has a decentralized system, meaning each county administers their child services. There are 88 counties in Ohio.
Next, The Daily Wire reached out to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office, who said the AG’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation “must be requested by a law enforcement agency or county prosecutor to investigate a potential crime,” and that it had “not been requested to assist in any investigation related to these allegations.”
No comments