Man who forced woman to take abortion tablets is jailed
Stephen Maguire
A man who caused the unlawful termination of a woman's pregnancy after forcing her to take five 'abortion' pills and then locking her in a room at a house in Co Donegal has been jailed for nine years.
Adeleke Adelani, 28, told his former girlfriend that he would beat her nine-week-old foetus out of her if she did not take the tablets on Valentine's Day in 2020.
The victim, who asked for Adelani to be named publicly, had told the court that she will always grieve her child, saying "Healing does not erase the loss, it only means I learned how to live with it."
Garda PJ Folan outlined to barrister for the state, Paul Greene, with Fiona Crawford, how gardaí arrived at what was believed to be a domestic incident in Letterkenny just before 2.20 pm on the date in question.
They found a woman in the house, and it coincided with Adelani coming back to the house at Ashlawn.
The woman, now aged 26, outlined how she had been forced to take the tablets which Adelani had procured from a pharmacy in Dublin.
The court was told that Adelani had been a student at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology and that he had met the woman on Snapchat.
The woman initially became pregnant with Adelani in October 2019, and they both decided to abort the baby with help from a doctor who prescribed abortion tablets.
The woman became pregnant again with Adelani in January 2020 and decided to keep the baby having visited a friend in London and discussing her situation.
The accused was due to go on holiday on February 7th, but when he heard that the woman had skipped an appointment to see her GP as she now wished to keep the child, he cancelled the holiday.
He invited the woman to his home in Letterkenny under the belief that he too wanted to keep the baby, and they both went to his home in Ashlawn, where he turned on her.
A conversation between Adelani and his victim when he told her she had to have an abortion was played to the courtroom.
In the exchange, the accused is heard making most of the conversation while music plays in the background.
The court was told that Adelani forced the woman to take five misoprostol 200mg tablets, told her how to swallow them and then locked her in a bedroom.
He is heard telling the woman, "I’m showing you what to do... take this... I’m dead serious... I’m forcing you. I don’t care, take it."
He is also heard saying, "It’s either you eat this, or I beat that kid out of you tonight. I’m dead serious...I’m forcing you. I don’t care. Take it.”
The evidence of the conversation on the accused man's phone could not be accessed until two weeks before he was previously due to stand trial because he refused to give Gardaí his phone PIN for more than four years.
When they eventually managed to access the PIN, Adelani's phone history showed him accessing information, including searches for how to perform an abortion.
Evidence was given how the woman reacted badly after being given the tablets.
She came down with a fever, she was shivering and she also had cramps.
She went to the toilet at one stage, and she was passing large clots of blood and was in great pain, the court was told.
After this had happened, the accused went out and bought a pregnancy test, and the woman saw her chance and called gardaí.
This was when gardaí called to the house, and the woman was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital to be treated at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit.
The accused was arrested, but despite being interviewed four times, he made no admissions, said Garda Folan.
Victim impact statement
The woman said she would like to read out her own victim impact statement and said that what the defendant did to her did not end when the crime was over.
However, it became something I carried inside my body, my mind, and my heart, she said.
Sitting just feet from the accused, the woman said, "When he wrongfully imprisoned me and caused the termination of my nine-week pregnancy, he took far more than my freedom. He took my child. He took my sense of safety.
"He took a future that I had already begun to plan and love. My baby was real to me. I had hopes, dreams, and a bond with the life that was growing inside me, and all of it was violently stolen from me in a moment of cruelty that I will never forget.
"The fact that this happened on Valentine’s Day makes the pain even deeper. A day meant to represent and celebrate love became the day he showed hatred not just toward me, but toward my unborn child.
"While the world celebrated love, I was trapped, terrified, and losing my baby at the hands of someone I thought I could trust instead chose violence and not care."
She added that after the crime, Adelani's denial caused another layer of harm for her.
She said "I will always grieve my child. I will always remember what was taken from me. Healing does not erase the loss it only means I learned how to live with it.
"I am here today to ensure justice is served and to honour my baby, my truth, and the strength it took to survive this. What happened mattered. My child mattered. And justice matters."
Sentencing
Sentencing the accused to 11 years with the final two years suspended, Judge John Aylmer said the accused man's actions were "extremely premeditated."
He referred back to the evidence given at a sentencing hearing last week, saying how Adelani had 'lured" the woman to Letterkenny on the pretence that they were to have the baby together.
He then told how the accused had done a great deal of research on the internet as to how to carry out the termination while all the time knowing of the woman's express desire to keep her baby.
He referred to the woman's victim impact statement, saying that while she was forgiving of Adelani in a very Christian way, it was clear from it, nevertheless, of the "appalling emotional trauma" that the woman suffered from his actions.
The judge told the accused, “You ignored her obvious distress. Her tears were audible in the recording you made.”
Judge Aylmer added, "It's quite difficult to contemplate a more serious offence contrary to this statutory provision."
Standing dressed in a grey tracksuit, the accused did not show any emotion as the sentence was passed.
Judge Aylmer said the most serious charge was the unlawful ending of the life of a foetus, as well as assault causing harm to the woman.
He said he was also taking into consideration the threats made to and the false imprisonment of the woman.
Speaking after the case, Garda Inspector Paul McGee, of Letterkenny Garda Station, surrounded by some of the investigation team on the case said he wanted to recognise the "remarkable strength shown by the victim in seeking accountability for the offences committed against her."
He added, "During the course of this investigation, the victim displayed unwavering strength and resolve. By choosing to speak out, she has taken an important step that may encourage others who are suffering in silence to reflect on their own situations and seek support. Her decision to share her experience brings attention to the hidden reality of abuse that takes place behind closed doors.
"It is a reminder that these crimes can and do happen in ordinary homes out of public view. Protecting those who are vulnerable remains central to the work of An Garda Síochána.
"This investigation demonstrates our determination to take reports seriously, to support victims and to carry out thorough and professional investigations."
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women’s Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Men’s Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information.
Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
