Indonesian girl’s plight prompts call to legalise abortion

KUALA LUMPUR: Calls to decriminalise abortion grew louder in Indonesia yesterday after a teenage girl, who was raped by her brother, was jailed for six months for terminating her pregnancy, sparking anger among activists who demanded her immediate release.

The 15-year-old, from Jambi province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, was sentenced last month after a judge found her guilty of having an abortion, according to rights groups, including Amnesty International.

Her brother, 18, was jailed for two years for sexually assaulting a minor, while their mother was arrested for assisting in an abortion, Amnesty International said.

Budi Wahyuni, vice-chairwoman of the government-backed National Commission on Violence Against Women, called the girl’s punishment a “gross injustice”.

“She was raped and now jailed. It is a double injustice. All women must be given the right to decide on abortion and not being subjected to any punishments,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation from Jakarta yesterday.

Abortion is illegal in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, unless the mother’s life is at risk or it is performed under certain circumstances, such as rape.

The procedure, however, must be carried out no later than six weeks into a pregnancy, or the woman may face up to four years in jail. Those who assist in carrying out an abortion can be sentenced to up to 10 years.

The 15-year-old was about six months pregnant, officials said.

Calling for decriminalisation, Amnesty International said denying a rape victim an abortion violated her right to be free from torture or inhumane treatment.

“Indonesia has a legal obligation under international human rights law to ensure that victims of rape or incest can have timely access to safe and legal abortion,” the group said in a statement.