The encounter began with a holiday romance. In 2021, Stephen Doohan, already a married man, met a woman in Spain, sparking a long-distance relationship that would tragically descend into a calculated betrayal.
Doohan, a paramedic, leveraged his professional knowledge to orchestrate an illegal abortion. He secretly accessed medical information through his workplace, meticulously planning a course of action that would have devastating consequences.
The crimes unfolded over a harrowing 48-hour period, beginning on March 17th at Doohan’s flat in Edinburgh. What initially appeared as intimacy quickly morphed into a series of deliberate assaults, cloaked in deception.
The victim initially believed a hard object inserted into her was a sex toy. However, the following day, alarming symptoms – unusual discharge and intense stomach cramps – began to surface, raising her suspicions.
Returning to Doohan’s flat, she endured further violation while under the influence of diazepam, discovering a hidden stash of tablets beneath the mattress. A desperate internet search revealed the horrifying truth: abortion medication.
Doohan attempted to control the narrative, meticulously rehearsing a false account for the woman to present to medical professionals. He guided her through hospital visits, attempting to conceal his actions as a miscarriage.
The court heard that Doohan had coldly calculated every step, utilizing his paramedic training to research misoprostol, a drug used to induce abortion. His actions were not impulsive, but a premeditated plan to end the pregnancy against his partner’s will.
Judge Lord Colbeck condemned Doohan’s actions, emphasizing his desire to avoid fatherhood and the calculated nature of his crimes. The victim’s trust was shattered, replaced by fear and a profound sense of betrayal.
The Health and Care Professionals Tribunal Service (HCPTS) panel unequivocally stated that Doohan’s conduct demanded the most severe sanction. They found his actions fundamentally incompatible with continued practice as a paramedic.
The panel concluded that a member of the public would be deeply disturbed if no action was taken, given the gravity of the sexual assaults and the abuse of his professional position. Doohan has now been removed from the healthcare professionals register.
Doohan is now serving a lengthy prison sentence and will remain on the sexual offenders’ database for the rest of his life, a stark consequence of his calculated and devastating crimes.
