Authorities in Massachusetts have arrested 43-year-old Robert Kawada of Brookline, charging him with multiple offenses after he allegedly tricked his pregnant ex-girlfriend into taking abortion pills by claiming they were vitamins and iron supplements. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office has charged Kawada with poisoning, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a pregnant person, and assault and battery on a household or family member.
The case unfolded when the woman, who met Kawada via a dating app and engaged in a brief relationship, discovered her pregnancy after their breakup.
The discussions about her pregnancy led Kawada, leveraging his claimed knowledge from family medical background, to administer what he claimed were health supplements. According to police reports, he also provided homemade raspberry leaf cookies, known to potentially induce labor and miscarriage when consumed during the first trimester.
Kawada’s deceptive practices included instructing her on how to consume the pills, ensuring she allowed them to dissolve in her mouth. The woman, experiencing severe cramps and bleeding, became suspicious and saved some of the pills after pretending to ingest them. Despite these symptoms, her initial medical check-ups showed a normal pregnancy progression.
The situation escalated as continued ingestion led to a miscarriage, prompting her to report Kawada’s actions to the Watertown Police Department.