Pro-Choice Violence and Illegal Activities in Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Felony Assault [Pawtucket] Richard Andrade's girlfriend was pregnant and he didn't want her to have the baby. So, on July 5, 2002, Andrade repeatedly punched her in the stomach after she refused to have an abortion. Detective Lt. John Clarkson said "We were told that Mr. Andrade punched his girlfriend several times in the stomach. The woman then went to Women and Infants Hospital and lost the child. We were able to determine that Mr. Andrade was responsible for the assault. We got warrants for his arrest." When Andrade realized that police were after him, he ran. He was found near Worcester, Massachusetts, when police stopped him and checked on their computer, a check that turned up the arrest warrant and demands from the court for his appearance there. He was arraigned in Worcester as a fugitive from justice. Andrade faces the charge of felony assault, based on a review of the evidence by prosecutor Stacey Veroni. By Rhode Island law, a person can be charged with murder if they deliberately act in a way that results on the death of a fetus if the pregnancy is so advanced that the child would have survived on its own if it was born at that moment. Case law has set that at about 23 weeks of pregnancy. Reference: Kevin O'Connor. "Police Say Man Beat Pregnant Girlfriend." The Pawtucket Times, March 3, 2003. Assault with a Deadly Weapon (ADW) and Death Threat Pro-lifers were picketing outside the Women's Medical Center abortion mill when a pro-abortionist attacked Raymond Dempsey, tearing his picket sign out of his hands, hitting him with it, and threatening to kill him. The pro-abort was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and was found guilty of the charge. References: "America is Protesting Abortion ... Despite Death Threats, Assaults." ALL About Issues,

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November 1983, page 5; Global Report. "Victory in Court in Rhode Island." ALL About Issues, July 1984, page 28. Hate Crime and Vandalism In Johnston, Rhode Island, Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church set up a statue of Jesus on its own property. The statue has a prayer inscribed on it reading "Let us pray for an end to abortion." This was perhaps the most inoffensive possible display that could be erected against abortion but it was too much for pro-abortionists, who resent any opposition to abortion, and would dearly love to stamp it all out. In March 2004, pro-abortionists spraypainted the statue with the words "Anti-choice nazis." They coated the statue with the black paint and wiped out the passage asking for prayers to end abortion. Police classified this act as a hate crime. Police Chief Richard Tamburini said "There's no question it's a willful and malicious act. This is not a child's prank. We'll do everything we can to prevent this from happening again. We're not letting this just disappear." Rhode Island state law defines a hate crime as "any crime motivated by bigotry and bias, including but not limited to threatened, attempted or completed acts that appear after investigation to have been motivated by racial, religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender or disability prejudice." References: Steven Ertelt and Maria Gallagher. "Pro-Life Displays at Catholic Churches in Florida and Rhode Island Vandalized." LifeNews, March 24, 2004; "Pro-Life Displays at Catholic Churches in Florida and Rhode Island Vandalized." Pro-Life News Report, March 25, 2004; "Church Attack to be Considered Hate Crime." Boston Globe, March 29, 2004.

End of Rhode Island Listing

(updated March 31, 2011)

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