A 36-year-old medical intern was sentenced by the Strasbourg correctional court on Thursday to five years in prison, with three of those years suspended, for causing his girlfriend to take abortion pills. The defendant, whose name was not released, administered the pills by kissing her and by dissolving some in a drink, according to reports. The incident reportedly took place in March 2024 at the home of his girlfriend, a nurse, in Furdenheim, a small town in the Bas-Rhin department of northeastern France. The defendant obtained a mifepristone pill and three misoprostol tablets—both are medications used in early-stage abortions—and had his girlfriend ingest them. He did this by embracing her, allowing her to absorb the mifepristone through skin contact, and by having her drink a beverage containing the misoprostol. The defendant had no prior criminal record and had been studying medicine for ten years, nearing the end of his training when the incident occurred. As a result of the conviction, he was permanently banned from practicing medicine and prohibited from engaging in any medical or paramedical activity for five years. The defendant’s lawyer, Valentin Guégan, said his client admitted to the act and explained that he was unable to imagine a future involving parenting due to psychological, financial, or material constraints. The lawyer added that the defendant expressed regret and apologized for his actions. While the lawyer did not confirm whether an appeal would be filed, he noted that the option was being considered. This case highlights the intersection of personal decisions, legal consequences, and the responsibilities of medical professionals. The defendant’s background as a medical student adds a layer of irony and complexity to the situation, as he was expected to understand the serious implications of such actions. The incident also underscores the sensitive nature of reproductive rights and the legal boundaries around administering medical treatments without consent.