Pregnant Woman Performs DIY Abortion Using Kitchen Utensils After Watching YouTube Videos

A 24-year-old woman in India allegedly performed an abortion on herself at home with the help of kitchen utensils, guided by YouTube videos.

The woman, who became pregnant after being raped by her boyfriend, underwent a self-induced abortion in the seventh month of her pregnancy. The police have launched an investigation into the incident that happened in the state of Maharashtra, The Times Of India reported.

The stillborn fetus was later buried by her boyfriend, Sohail Khan. He was charged with rape Thursday after the woman filed a complaint with the police.

The woman, whose identity has been withheld, alleged in her complaint Khan had been forcing himself on her since 2016. She said he had raped her at least 50 times over the period by spiking her drinks.

However, when the woman became pregnant, Khan refused to marry her since he was already married and had a son. He then began forcing the victim to get rid of the baby.

Khan then sent the woman a few YouTube videos to help her with self-induced abortion. He also taught her how to detach the baby from her body. As per his instruction, the woman risked her life by cutting the cord with whatever equipment she found at home, including the kitchen utensils.

Khan then buried the fetus at a nearby burial ground. The girl's family was not at home when the incident happened. However, they came to know about it a few days later and decided to approach the police.

After the incident came to light, the police summoned a forensic team from a nearby government hospital to help exhume the remains of the fetus, media outlet DNA reported.

"We were trying to exhume the remains of the fetus for DNA sampling, but unfortunately, it could not be traced. The search is still on," a senior police official told The Times Of India.

Further investigation revealed the accused had been married twice in the past. "The family of the victim felt that Khan had ditched her false promises as he was already a family man with a child," said the official.

Another shocking case was reported recently in India wherein a private clinic allegedly performed an abortion on a 17-week pregnant woman without her consent or knowledge. The hospital staff also flushed the fetus down an unused toilet. The police said the clinic performed the act after taking money from the woman's husband. The husband allegedly paid Rs 13,000 ($178) to the clinic for terminating the pregnancy after an ultrasound imaging allegedly showed the fetus had a deformity.