A 31-year-old man in the Australian state of Victoria has been charged with recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault, and damaging property, after police say he ordered his pregnant wife to get an abortion – then struck her on the head three times.
The name of the man has been omitted from reports, to protect the identity of the victim.
The victim allegedly told the man that she wanted to keep the baby. The Age reports:
Prosecutor Tim Hutchins told the court the man struck his wife with an open hand, breaking her glasses, hit her again, and after she screamed, hit her a third time and told her: “Lower your voice, don’t let anyone hear.”
The man also allegedly followed the victim to the police station, trying to convince her not to report the assault. He initially denied the accusations to police, but later admitted that he might have knocked the glasses off his wife’s head “accidentally.”
Details regarding where the man is originally from are currently unavailable, but The Age reports that if convicted, the man could be deported from Australia. Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt reportedly told the defendant that he may receive leniency if he pleads guilty and completes a behavioral change program. The man has previously pled guilty to domestic violence. He has told officers that he no longer wants his wife to get an abortion.
