Rape of 10-year-old jolts US abortion debate
- An Ohio man has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl who later travelled to neighbouring Indiana for an abortion
- Ohio has enacted near-total restrictions on abortions after the US Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling
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Protests across US after Supreme Court's decision to overturn abortion rights
Ohio police have confirmed a 10-year-old rape victim crossed state lines to terminate her pregnancy, in a case drawing broad attention after the US Supreme Court overturned a federal right to abortion.
The girl’s ordeal of travelling to neighbouring Indiana for the medical procedure was highlighted by President Joe Biden recently as he signed legislation aimed at helping women seeking abortions.
A trigger law banning all abortions after six weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest, came into force in Ohio last month after the nation’s high court ended decades of constitutional protection for the right to end a pregnancy.
The shocking case was questioned by conservative-leaning media outlets and Ohio’s attorney general, who cast doubt on the story’s veracity.
But Columbus, Ohio police detective Jeffrey Huhn testified in court early Wednesday that the unidentified girl underwent an abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
According to the paper, Huhn was testifying at the arraignment of a man arrested Tuesday by police who say he confessed to raping the child.