Assaulting Pregnant Women: Hurting the Mother and the Child

After a stint in prison for assaulting a police officer, Arturo Rojas may find himself behind Connecticut’s familiar closed bars once again – this time for assaulting his pregnant girlfriend. According to LifeNews.com and the Waterbury Republican American newspaper, the 41-year-old man left his girlfriend shaking and crying in her apartment while she attempted to call for emergency help. Rojas returned to the scene after authorities had arrived and admitted to repeatedly punching the unnamed woman in the stomach. Rojas stated that he “[messed] that [woman] up. She is stupid and won’t get an abortion.”

Sadly, Rojas is preceded by a growing list of men who have begun attacking and killing women who choose to preserve Life over abortion. The Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper reported a similar case in which a police officer, Chancy K. Jones, shot and killed his mistress after she refused to have an abortion. Phyliss Malone, the late mistress of former officer Jones, requested money for the child’s care after she became aware of her pregnancy. Jones admitted the following allegations in his five-page police report:
 “So when I asked her about going to get an abortion done, she cursed and said hell no she wasn’t gonna do that. She was determined that she was going to tell her (Jones’ wife) and come to my house. I asked her not to do it. She said ‘Bye, Chancy.’ That’s when I pulled out a pistol and I shot her,”
Both Rojas and Jones are currently charged with their respective cases: Rojas with “third-degree assault, disorderly conduct and interfering with an emergency phone call” and Jones with first-degree murder.

According to Medscape Medical News, “Pregnant homicide victims are more likely to have been killed early in the pregnancy, which can make it difficult to identify the pregnancy and link it with the homicide…Pregnant homicide victims are more likely to be killed with a gun…Pregnant teenagers (aged 15-19 years) were more at risk.” Deanne Williams, American College of Nurse-Midwives Executive Director, furthers this argument by stating “what pregnant women do not know is that instead of facing joyful celebration at the announcement of pregnancy, too many face violence and death. We have got to do a better job of identifying this problem and helping the women and their partners not end up with such a horrific outcome.”” Violence against a pregnant woman is a violent crime against her and her innocent unborn child. Many have attributed the painfully large number of men using violence against pregnant women to the man’s lack of “choice” with regards to the pregnancy – once again proving that “choice” comes with consequences.

Share this article: