Man indicted on two counts of rape after 10-year-old's abortion

A Franklin County grand jury today indicted a man on rape charges involving a 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion in a case that has gained international attention. The story of the girl's abortion was originally doubted by some Republican politicians, and questions have been raised on whether the girl could legally have gotten the abortion in Ohio after the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of Roe v. Wade enabled Ohio's so-called "heartbeat bill" prohibiting most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to become law.

The other big story this afternoon is the news that President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. The new BA.5 variant is causing cases and hospitalizations to rise across the country and here in Ohio, too. Ohio released its latest weekly tally of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this afternoon. You can keep up on the latest COVID-19 news by visiting Dispatch.com/news/coronavirus.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: afternoon update July 21, 2022