Toledo, December 10, 2025 – A 32-year-old surgical resident at the University of Toledo Medical Center has been indicted on six felony charges after allegedly crushing abortion-inducing medication and forcing it into his pregnant girlfriend’s mouth while she slept, causing the termination of her pregnancy.
Hassan-James Abbas faces counts of abduction, tampering with evidence, unlawful distribution of an abortion-inducing drug, disrupting public services, identity fraud, and deception to obtain a dangerous drug. The State Medical Board of Ohio summarily suspended his medical license on November 5, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on December 19.
The woman, who had been dating Abbas for only two months, discovered she was pregnant in early December 2024. She described the news as happy, but Abbas reacted with anger, screaming at her over the phone and revealing for the first time that he was married but separated. He immediately began pressuring her to terminate the pregnancy, which she wanted to keep.
The next day, Abbas used his estranged wife’s personal information — name, date of birth, and driver’s license number — to order Mifepristone and Misoprostol from an out-of-state telemedicine abortion provider. The drugs were delivered to his address on December 11.
Days later, the woman began experiencing severe nausea. On the night of December 18, she woke up to Abbas pinning her down by the neck and forcing a crushed, bitter-tasting powder into her mouth beside her gums. She fought him off, ran to the kitchen, and called 911. Abbas allegedly seized her phone, held her for half an hour while trying to explain his actions, then disposed of the remaining pills before she drove herself to the emergency room.
At the hospital, doctors confirmed heavy vaginal bleeding and the loss of the pregnancy.
In a July 2025 interview with medical board investigators, Abbas admitted researching the drugs, using his wife’s identity to obtain them, crushing the tablets to make them dissolve faster, and administering them without following medical instructions. He claimed the woman had consented, an assertion the board rejected as unsupported by evidence.
The State Medical Board of Ohio found that Abbas had violated multiple provisions of state medical law, including administering drugs without therapeutic purpose and endangering public health. His license was immediately suspended immediately, and he was placed on administrative leave by the University of Toledo Medical Center.
A Lucas County grand jury returned the six-count felony indictment on November 5. If convicted on all charges, Abbas could face decades in prison.
The victim’s attorney welcomed the indictment, stating that the criminal process has finally begun and that additional charges remain possible as the investigation continues.
The case has drawn national attention amid ongoing debates over abortion access and telemedicine medication abortion in the post-Roe v. Wade era. Pro-life organisations have cited it as evidence of the dangers of mail-order abortion drugs, while women’s rights advocates have condemned the alleged assault as a shocking act of reproductive coercion and domestic violence.
Abbas has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bond. His arraignment is set for December 19 in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
