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Notes -
I think that you will find that "to ask" is frequently used in situations where it is clear that non-compliance with the demand will have adverse consequences. For example, if someone makes a fuss in a restaurant, they might be asked to leave. If they then refuse to leave, that is not the end of the story, instead, the restaurant will typically escalate to more coercive measures.
I do not think life in prison is a reasonable maximum sentence here, though. I am sure the judicial system can come up with disincentives which are less severe than "we lock you up forever" and more severe than "we politely asked".
For example, the punishment should be a lot more lenient than if someone killed the fetus against the will of the pregnant woman (to avoid having to pay child support or for inheritance reasons or whatever).
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