A Texas man who assaulted his pregnant girlfriend in an attempt to cause their preborn child’s death has pled guilty to the charges against him — and was sentenced only to probation.
Last year, Simon Wayne Streeter was arrested after his girlfriend told police she had been assaulted. She had a bloody nose, a swollen lip, scratches on her face, and a red mark on her neck. She told police Streeter punched her in the stomach and tried to choke her… and then kneed her in the stomach, telling her he hoped it would cause her preborn child to die. The woman was 27 weeks pregnant at the time.
The woman said she had not felt the baby move since the assault and was taken to the hospital for treatment; local news did not say whether or not her baby survived.
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This was Streeter’s second arrest for family violence in less than a year; he was placed on a mandatory 48-hour hold, with a $10,000 bond.
In the previous incident, Streeter’s brother said he intervened when Streeter tried to shoot himself; Streeter then tackled him to the ground and punched him. When police arrived, he barricaded himself in his trailer and had to be talked into coming out by his mother. He’s since pled guilty to assault of a pregnant person, and was given a sentence of five years probation, as well as a $750 fine. The charges for the previous crime are still pending.
Violence against pregnant women is, unfortunately, very common. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 5.7% of women reported any type of violence during pregnancy. Additionally, it is a well-known statistic that homicide is a leading cause of death for women during pregnancy; women are more likely to be murdered during pregnancy than they are to die from the three leading obstetric causes of death (high blood pressure disorders, hemorrhage, and sepsis).
