A dad has been arrested after performing DIY home abortions which concealed his crimes, after sexually abusing his daughter aged 10 and his stepdaughter during a campaign of abuse which lasted 14 years. Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications said: “Abortion is used by abusers to cover up the evidence of their crimes. It is vital that the government revoke the recent DIY home abortion regulations which give abusive men easy access to abortion drugs.”
Abuser, Jason D. Goodwill, aged 51 from Pennsylvania, is facing more than 20 charges of rape and ‘deviate sexual intercourse’ after being taken into custody last week.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, his victims were a 12-year-old and a 20 year old - and both of the girls were in Goodwill's custody when the crimes took place. The investigation is stemming back to 2006, when his stepdaughter was seven years old.
The 12 year old victim has told investigators that she had been sexually abused by Goodwill since she was 10 years old and as a result became pregnant multiple times.
Goodwill allegedly performed DIY home abortions on his victim multiple times which allowed him to conceal his crimes and continue with his abuse. Goodwill allegedly injected the victim with chemicals which caused an abortion.
The victim has also informed investigators that she gave birth to one child in 2014. The child was taken by Goodwill and at some point passed away.
UK home abortion regulations give abusive men easy access to abortion drugs
In response to the Coronavirus lockdown measures, the UK government has permitted DIY home abortions. This involves obtaining chemical abortion drugs over video call and chemical abortions being performed at home with no medical supervision or support. The woman will not be required to meet a doctor in person, and the abortion drugs will be delivered through the post.
SPUC have highlighted concerns regarding abusive men now having easy access to abortion drugs due to new home abortion measures.
Mr Robinson said: “It is deplorable that during a time of rising domestic violence, the government have implemented reckless abortion regulations which put vulnerable women at greater risk of being forced to undergo an abortion and hands vicious men the power to conceal and continue with their abuse.
“Abortion is used by rapists as a tool to destroy the evidence that abuse ever took place, and then enables them to continue with their crimes. It is vital that home abortion regulations are revoked immediately and that abortion is kept within the criminal code. Doing so causes barriers for abusers and creates protection for vulnerable women.”
Abortion conceals abuse
Earlier this year SPUC reported on how a Birmingham pharmacist and his wife forced young girls and women to undergo abortions in order to conceal their campaign of sexual abuse which lasted for over 20 years. One girl is known to have had six forced abortions.
Similarly, in 2019, a senior NHS worker was jailed for grooming an underage girl and pressuring her to have an abortion. Givemore Gezi, aged 39, was jailed for 10 years for having sexual relations with a teenager and forcing her to have an abortion against her will to conceal his illegal sexual activity.
SPUC has launched a major public health campaign, The Hidden Cost, which challenges the UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, to establish how DIY home abortions ensure women are not being subject to coercion and abuse.
More information on SPUC’s Hidden Cost campaign can be found here.