South Bend, IN - Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of Voices for Life, filed their opening appellate brief in Court of Appeals of Indiana to defend Voices for Life’s right to access and review Terminated Pregnancy Reports (TPRs) to improve maternal health, ensure accountability, and uphold transparency standards for Indiana’s abortion industry.

On February 3, 2025, Thomas More Society secured victory for Voices for Life in a settlement agreement with the Indiana Department of Health to maintain access to the reports after the state health department wrongly redefined TPRs as confidential patient records. Following that victory, two Indiana abortion providers, Drs. Caitlin Bernard and Caroline Rouse, sued Voices for Life and the Indiana Department of Health, seeking to restrict public access to these critical reports.

“Terminated Pregnancy Reports provide transparency and accountability to safeguard the health and safety of women and children in the state of Indiana. These reports have been publicly accessible for decades and serve the purpose of protecting women, ensuring that the abortion industry cannot evade scrutiny. Voices for Life has a right to review these public reports and continue their much-needed role as a watchdog over the Hoosier State’s abortion industry,” said Thomas Olp, Executive Vice President at Thomas More Society.

Since 2022, Voices for Life has requested and reviewed TPRs for potential violations of health and safety standards. Indiana abortion providers are required by law to submit individual reports, without patient names or other identifying factors, to improve maternal health and to ensure Indiana’s abortion industry follows state law—a requirement that Drs. Bernard and Rouse admitted under oath, in an earlier court hearing, to not following in at least one instance since December 2024. In reviewing these reports, Voices for Life has discovered about 700 instances of apparent illegal activity among abortion providers and filed complaints with the state health department and the attorney general’s office.

“This appeal is about the protection of Hoosier women and children. Indiana is a proud pro-life state, and we will not blindly trust abortionists without any oversight or accountability. Terminated Pregnancy Reports are essential to prevent repeating the tragic history of health and safety violations perpetrated by abortionists like Ulrich Klopfer. We refuse to ignore the risks to maternal health the withholding of these abortion records poses, and we will continue fighting with Thomas More Society for justice,” said Melanie Garcia Lyon, Executive Director at Voices for Life.

The Brief of Appellant Voices for Life, filed May 27, 2025, by Thomas More Society attorneys, can be found here.