Some publications that had weighed in on the case updated their articles with the new information. Mr. Kessler of The Washington Post wrote on Twitter: “Now, a rapist has been charged and the story has been updated. Getting lots of angry emails but journalism is an accumulation of facts.”
The Wall Street Journal noted the new facts in an editorial on Thursday. But it argued that the way to help the country find a consensus on abortion is to “make sure that stories about abortion, from either side of the debate, can be readily confirmed.”
Conservative news media was less contrite, focusing on Mr. Fuentes’s status as an undocumented immigrant. Mr. Watters, the Fox News host who had raised questions about the case, said on Wednesday night that his TV program had “put on the pressure and now we are glad that justice is being served.”
Mr. Yost, the Ohio attorney general, who had suggested the story was fabricated, released a statement on Wednesday that said: “My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child.”
Others turned the focus on Dr. Bernard. The Indiana attorney general, Todd Rokita, a Republican, said on Fox News on Wednesday night that he would investigate whether the doctor had failed to report the assault and abortion, and suggested that Dr. Bernard had failed to do so in other cases.
A document obtained by The New York Times on Thursday showed that Dr. Bernard had done the required reports. The Indianapolis Star was the first to report on the document. Kathleen DeLaney, a lawyer for Dr. Bernard, said in a statement that Dr. Bernard was considering legal action against those who had “smeared” her, including Mr. Rokita. Mr. Rokita responded: “As we stated, we are gathering evidence from multiple sources and agencies related to these allegations. Our legal review of it remains open.”
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/14/business/media/10-year-old-girl-ohio-rape.html
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