A British jury is considering horrifying allegations that a man repeatedly raped a teenage girl and tried to abort her unborn baby with a crochet hook.
John Davies, 86, of Torquay, England, is on trial in Exeter Crown Court on charges of rape and administering alcohol with the intent of procuring a miscarriage (abortion), the Devon Live reports. Davies denies the charges.
According to court records, Davies allegedly offered the girl, who was under age 16, a cleaning job at his business on Saturdays; but the girl said when she was cleaning alone in a caravan, Davies came in and raped her.
The victim, who is not named in reports, said he repeatedly raped her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
Here’s more from the report:
He tried to carry out an abortion using a crochet needle and soapy water after he made her pregnant but the makeshift operation failed and the child was born, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Davies told police the woman’s story was ‘fiction’ and ‘a figment of her imagination’ after he was arrested but police traced the boy and DNA tests showed he was the father.
The jury were told that he now says he did have sex with the girl, but it was all consensual.
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The woman only went to the police two years ago after turning detective to track down Davies. She confirmed she had found the right man when she saw his wife Betty filmed standing outside their house on Google Street View.
Davies’ alleged attempt to abort the victim’s unborn baby failed, and the baby boy was born; the victim made an adoption plan for him, according to the report. However, Davies allegedly impregnated the girl again and took her to a London abortion clinic, pretending to be her father, and paid to have the second child aborted.
Davies told police that the victim was lying; but a paternity test proved that he was the father, according to court testimony.
Many abortions are the result of pressure and abuse. As LifeNews previously reported, one study found as many as 64 percent of post-abortive women say they felt pressure to have an abortion.
Though abortion often is suggested as a quick fix for pregnant sexual abuse victims, studies indicate that it can hurt them even more. An Elliot Institute study found that women who were victims of rape said the abortion felt like another “medical rape” and did not help them heal. In many cases, it only added to their pain and trauma.
Many rape victims who become pregnant do choose life for their unborn babies. In 2013, a 14-year-old Indiana girl chose life for her baby, and her brave decision garnered national attention and support, pro-life advocate Monica Kelsey wrote at LifeNews. From the moment she was pregnant, the young teen said she knew that she would carry her baby to term.
Another rape victim, Hellen Rhoda said many people pressured her to abort her son because of the crime that caused his conception. Though she faced numerous struggles, the brave young woman chose life for her son, too.
“I could not imagine ending the life of this cute little boy (who will turn out to be great in this world) because of some wicked man’s actions,” Rhoda wrote. “When my son was born, I named him Ellis, meaning “consecrated for God.” I am glad I kept my baby, even though I have paid a heavy price for him.”
Rhoda and many others have found hope through Save The 1, a pro-life group that protects, supports and empowers women who become pregnant by rape and their children conceived in rape.
