An Irish court has sentenced Nigerian national Adeleke Adelani to nine years in prison for forcing a woman to take abortion pills, resulting in the unlawful termination of her pregnancy.
The incident was described by the presiding judge as an “extreme act of physical and emotional violence.”
Adelani pleaded guilty to unlawfully ending the life of a foetus on February 14, 2020, in Letterkenny, County Donegal.
He received an 11-year sentence, with the final two years suspended, for causing the unlawful termination of a pregnancy.
In addition, he was handed a five-year sentence, with the last 12 months suspended, for assault causing harm. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
Court documents revealed that the woman became pregnant by Adelani in 2019. While she initially agreed to terminate that pregnancy, she decided to continue with a subsequent pregnancy in 2020.
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On Valentine’s Day 2020, Adelani invited her to his home under the impression he supported her choice, but coerced her into taking five 200mg misoprostol tablets, a drug typically administered under medical supervision.
Prosecutors said Adelani threatened the woman with violence, locked her in a bedroom, and only left to buy a pregnancy test.
She contacted the Irish police shortly after, leading to his arrest at the scene.
Evidence presented in court included a recorded conversation from Adelani’s phone, in which he instructed the woman to take the abortion pills.
Medical reports confirmed that she suffered severe cramps, fever, shivering, and intense pain, passing blood clots as a result of the forced abortion.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had forgiven Adelani but emphasized that forgiveness did not mean condoning his actions.
“When he wrongfully imprisoned me and caused the termination of my nine-week pregnancy, he took far more than my freedom.
He took my child. He took my sense of safety. He took a future that I had already begun to plan and love,” she said.
Judge John Aylmer described the offence as “extremely premeditated,” noting that Adelani had conducted research online and was aware of the woman’s desire to keep her baby.
Detective Inspector Paul McGee praised the victim’s resilience throughout the investigation and trial.
Adelani is currently serving a separate seven-year prison term for another offence.
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