patrick.net

The viral story, repeated this week in a speech by Joe Biden, that a 10-year-old rape victim was forced to travel across state lines to get an abortion after being raped, has come into question after a Washington Post fact-checker found the story to be largely unfounded.

“This is the account of a one-source story that quickly went viral around the world — and into the talking points of the president,” Kessler said.

Kessler noted how Bernard was the only source for the story. He revealed Bernard declined to provide details to the Post about the location of the alleged rape, or whether authorities were investigating it.

“The only source cited for the anecdote was Bernard. She’s on the record, but there is no indication that the newspaper made other attempts to confirm her account,” Kessler added.