Harief Pearson and cousin Kydie McKenna are facing jail along with a teenage girl

A provision in the Offenses Against the Person Act, that abortion campaigners want rid of, is proving important in delivering justice for the pregnant victim of a sadistic attack.

A man who got two accomplices to beat his pregnant girlfriend and pour detergent down her throat in order to kill their baby is facing jail.

Horrific attack on pregnant woman

Harief Pearson, 22, enlisted his cousin Kydie McKenna, 22, and a 15-year-old teenage girl, who cannot be named, to kill his unborn baby because he "did not want to be a father", a court heard. 

They subjected the victim, who was 17 at the time, to a horrific ordeal lasting many hours. The two girls punched, stamped and kicked the victim on her stomach, back and chest. They also ripped off one of her nails and poured alcohol over her bloodied face.

When she asked for water, alcohol and blue laundry detergent was poured into her mouth instead. 

Before the attack, Mr Pearson had googled "how to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy’ and ‘what can heroin do to an unborn baby?"

Far from showing any regret about this appalling violence against his girlfriend and the attempt to kill his unborn child, he told the women part way through the attack "I don’t think it’s dead yet, continue".

The attack was only brought to an end when Mr Pearson feared his mother was coming home. The victim was left bloodied and bruised in a nearby street and threatened to kill her if she called the police.

Miraculously, the unborn baby survived.

Uses for "Victorian" law

Mr Pearson admitted trying to cause grievous bodily harm part-way through the trial. The female attacker admitted attempting to cause GBH, administering poison to cause a miscarriage, and false imprisonment. Ms McKenna admitted trying to cause GBH and perverting the course of justice.

The only one of these offences that focuses on the attempt to kill the baby (pouring detergent down the victim’s throat), rather than harm to the mother is "administering poison to cause a miscarriage".  Crucially, this is an offence under section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act. Attempts by abortion advocates to decriminalise abortion have centred on repealing or amending parts of this Act, which they often slam as "Victorian legislation".

Decriminalising abortion would also make it possible for anyone to supply pills or instruments for the purpose of causing an abortion. Stories like this show just how crucial it is to protect women and babies by keeping abortion within the criminal law to ensure that abusive men such as Harief Pearson are brought to justice.

Join our We Care About Women campaign opposing decriminalisation