Man Tries to Force Woman at Gunpoint to Have Abortion, Police Arrest Him

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 6, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Man Tries to Force Woman at Gunpoint to Have Abortion, Police Arrest Him

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 6
, 2010

Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) — An Ohio man was arrested this morning after police say he allegedly tried to force his pregnant girlfriend at gunpoint to have an abortion.

Dominic L. Holt-Reid is a 27-year-old man from Columbus, Ohio and he represents what research shows is the all-too-frequent phenomenon of coerced and pressured abortions.

Police say Holt-Reid was arrested and charged with kidnapping and carrying a concealed weapon after he tried to make his partner keep a scheduled appoint for an abortion she decided to go back on today.

Police found him in the parking lot behind the Founder’s Women’s Health Center abortion facility in downtown Columbus

Sgt. Rich Weiner, a Columbus police spokesman, told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper the unnamed woman and Holt-Reid have another child together. They said the couple were in a vehicle dropping their child off at school when Holt-Reid became angry after the girlfriend refused to keep the abortion appointment slated for this morning.

Holt-Reid reportedly obtained a gun from the glove compartment and pointed it at his pregnant girlfriend — forcing her to drive to the abortion center. The Dispatch indicates she passed a note to center staff, who called the police after receiving it.

A report released earlier this year finds women who have abortions frequently report they feel pressured or coerced into having one — and they say they don’t get the counseling they need from abortion centers for abortions they may not otherwise want.

The report from the Elliot Institute, Forced Abortion in America, calls the problem a "widespread epidemic." https://www.lifenews.com/nat6356.html

The report notes how research suggests most abortions are likely unwanted or coerced, with one survey of women who had abortions finding that 64 percent said they felt pressured by others to abort. https://www.theunchoice.com/News/ruestudy.htm

The same survey found 80 percent of women said they did not receive the counseling they needed to make a decision — even though more than half said they felt rushed or uncertain about the abortion.

The consequences for those who refuse abortion can be dangerous and even deadly, according to the report, which details cases of women and girls facing violent attacks or murder for resisting abortion.

Studies of death rates among pregnant women in the U.S. have found that homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women, the authors say.

The cases detailed in the report represent only a fraction of the more than 200 cases the Elliot Institute has on file of women and girls being attacked or killed with the intent of getting rid of the pregnancy. The updated report contains new cases as well as a new special section on teens and forced abortion.

"Our files contain hundreds of stories from women and girls who were attacked or killed with the intent of getting rid of the pregnancy," said Elliot Institute spokesperson Amy Sobie.

She told LifeNews.com, "We’ve been collecting these stories for more than six years through mainstream media sources and pro-life organizations who have been diligently reporting on these kinds of cases. The information is out there, but many people aren’t aware of what might be going on in their own communities."

Sobie said people might not immediately connect this with abortion because in many cases the woman or girl never makes it to an abortion center — she’s attacked or killed before she even gets there.

"In our opinion, the availability of abortion makes it easier for those around her to think that she shouldn’t be having this baby, and gives those with an interest in getting rid of the unborn child a justification for doing so," she said.

Related web sites:

Forced Abortion in America Report –
https://www.theunchoice.com/pdf/FactSheets/ForcedAbortions.pdf
Elliot Institute – https://www.afterabortion.org

* Photo source: WBNS-10TV

 

Sign Up for Free Pro-Life News From LifeNews.com

Daily Pro-Life News Report Twice-Weekly Pro-Life
News Report
Receive a free daily email report from LifeNews.com with the latest pro-life news stories on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here. Receive a free twice-weekly email report with the latest pro-life news headlines on abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Sign up here.