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Chesapeake man accused of punching pregnant woman, charged with attempted murder

A criminal complaint in Chesapeake says that Anthony Gourdet punched a pregnant woman's stomach after she admitted cheating on him.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Police charged a man in the attempted killing of a 10-week-old fetus after a pregnant woman said he attacked her. 

The alleged assault supposedly happened March 23 at an apartment complex off of Oak Leaf Court. Anthony Gourdet, 29, was charged more than a week later.

A criminal complaint states that the woman first told police she had a miscarriage at the apartment. She later told staff at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center that she had been assaulted. A hospital staffer recorded seeing neck bruising and vaginal bleeding consistent with a miscarriage, but it was not induced. 

Court documents said the woman later told police Gourdet punched her three times in the stomach while he held her against a wall and choked her. 

She stated that Gourdet attacked her after she came "clean" about cheating on him. She said he was upset that her unborn child may not be his. Neighbors told 13News Now the two were dating.

13News Now reached out to the woman who made the report to police. She called late in the day Thursday and said the report was made out of anger and Gourdet did not attack her. She stated that the fetus is okay and that she is 12 weeks into her pregnancy. 

Domestic violence victim advocates said it is not rare at all for abuse survivors to recant previous statements to police. It happens for various reasons like financial worries and when reality hits. 

"A lot of times going to jail is not what they want to see happen to the person," said Dejion Payne, with the Y.W.C.A. South Hampton Roads. "They want to get some type of assistance like batters intervention classes, anger management classes or substance abuse classes."

Payne said the ultimate goal is to be there for survivors no matter what they desire even if they feel pressured. 

"It's better to know that what you don't remember can't be held against you and I have a lot of victims who...they don't remember parts of incidents, but they feel pressured to fill in those statements."

Gourdet has a court appearance scheduled for June 19 in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. He's being held without bond.

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