'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On July 12, 2022, Gerson Fuentes was arrested on charges of assaulting a 10-year-old girl in Ohio. The s*xual assault had resulted in a pregnancy, the termination of which has sparked huge debates on various social media platforms over the past few days.
With abortion services made inaccessible due to the overturning of Roe v Wade, the pregnant child was denied necessary health care in the state of Ohio.
In the midst of this, however, the victim's mother gave a shocking statement to Telemundo when confronted about her daughter's r*pe. While defending the perpetrator, she said that her daughter was "fine" and that everything being said about Gerson Fuentes "is a lie." She also revealed that she had not filed any charges against him.
Fuentes, suspected of being an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, has confessed to assaulting the child on two accounts. He was arraigned in Columbus on July 13, where he is charged with first-degree r*pe of a child under 13. His bail has been set at $2 million.
Gerson Fuentes sparks debates over the future of assault victims in America
27-year-old Gerson Fuentes attracted national attention when in an interview with IndyStar, Dr. Caitlin Bernard from Indiana revealed how she had provided abortion services recently to a 10-year-old victim of r*pe. The victim was denied access to abortion in her home state of Ohio. Referring to an impending abortion ban in Indiana, she said:
"It’s hard to imagine that in just a few short weeks we will have no ability to provide that care."
Despite the victim's mother's denial, Fuentes confessed to the charges against him. Further, Columbus Police Detective Jeffrey Huhn, in his testimony at Fuentes' arraignment, claimed the victim identified the Guatemalan man as both her attacker and the father of her child.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, the investigation into the case will include a comparison of the DNA found at the Indiana clinic with that of a sample taken from Fuentes.
While President Biden cited Dr. Bernard's example to highlight the immense negative impact of a nationwide abortion ban, the obstetrician-gynecologist has received flak from political quarters, with Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita threatening to file charges against her. In an interview with Fox News, he said,
"We're gathering the evidence as we speak, and we're going to fight this to the end, including looking at her licensure. If she failed to report it in Indiana, it's a crime for — to not report, to intentionally not report.”
On Thursday, IndyStar revealed that in reports received from the Indiana Department of Health, it was clearly shown that the doctor had reported the abortion before the state's deadline.
Many politicians, including Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, have called the case fake and have since retracted their opinions. With the country reeling from the massive legal implications of Roe v Wade being overturned, instances like the Gerson Fuentes case raise questions about the future of health care.
