Before the story went viral and an Ohio man was charged with rape in a case that has captured international attention, Caitlin Bernard, an OB/GYN, was forced to stop providing abortion services at a clinic in South Bend, Ind., in 2020 after Planned Parenthood alerted her about a kidnapping threat made against the doctor’s daughter that was passed along by the FBI.
“I felt it would be best for me to limit my travel and exposure during that time,” Bernard said in sworn testimony last year, according to the Guardian, the first to report the news. “I was concerned that there may be people who would be able to identify me during that travel, as well as it’s a very small clinic without any privacy for the people who are driving in and out, and so therefore, people could directly see me.”
Kendra Barkoff Lamy, a spokesperson for Bernard, confirmed to The Washington Post on Saturday that “reports regarding threats against Dr. Bernard’s family in 2020 are sadly true.”
“These personal and dangerous threats are obviously devastating to her, a board-certified doctor who has dedicated her life to the betterment of women and providing crucial reproductive care, including abortions,” Lamy said in a statement. “Sadly, Dr. Bernard is not alone, and this happens to doctors like her who provide abortions across our nation.”
Neither officials with Planned Parenthood nor the FBI immediately responded to requests for comment early Saturday. Rebecca Gibron, the acting CEO of several Planned Parenthood branches, including in Indiana, said in a news release that the organization “has committed to providing Dr. Bernard with security services and assistance with legal fees.”
“We stand in solidarity with Dr. Bernard and all providers who continue to deliver compassionate, essential care to patients, even in the face of attacks from antiabortion extremists,” Gibron said.
Although the details surrounding the reported kidnapping threat remain unclear, Bernard has been labeled a “local abortion threat” on a website for Right to Life Michiana, an antiabortion group based in South Bend. Bernard is among six doctors who have had their workplace locations and educational backgrounds listed since at least last year on a section of the website called “Local Abortion Threat: The Abortionist.” Bernard and the other doctors were listed on the website as of Saturday.
Jackie Appleman, executive director of Right to Life Michiana, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. Appleman told the Guardian earlier this year that listing Bernard and the other doctors on the group’s website was based on “publicly available information.”
“Right to Life Michiana does not condone or encourage harm, threats or harassment towards anyone, including abortion doctors, abortion business employees and escorts,” Appleman said in January. “We encourage pro-choice groups to also accept our nonviolent approach when it comes to the unborn.”
But Alison Case, an abortion provider in Indiana who is among the six doctors listed by the group, told The Post that Right to Life Michiana knows exactly what it’s doing by identifying doctors.
“What’s the point of putting out a list like that unless you’re encouraging people to take action against us?” said Case, 34, a family practice provider in Indianapolis. “It’s scary.”
Appleman has previously noted that Right to Life Michiana supports the criminalization of doctors who perform abortions. The group promotes misinformation about pregnancy and…
Read More: Caitlin Bernard, Indiana doctor in 10-year-old’s abortion, faced kidnapping threat against daughter
