Abortion charge against rape victim dropped

JAKARTA: A 15-year-old who was raped by her older brother and then sentenced to jail for having an abortion has been freed, a court spokesman said on Monday.

The case drew international headlines and was slammed by rights groups, which have frequently criticised the nation’s restrictive abortion laws.

The teenager from Jambi province on Sumatra island was sentenced to six months’ jail last month alongside her 17- year-old brother, who was given a twoyear term for sexually assaulting a minor.

But the Jambi High Court on Monday agreed to drop the abortion charge against the teenager following an appeal.

“The panel of judges said (the defendant) was proven to have had an abortion, but it was done under forced circumstances,” a court spokesman said.

Abortion is illegal in Indonesia unless a woman’s life is at risk or under certain circumstances if she is raped.

The law requires that an abortion must be performed by a registered professional no later than six weeks into a pregnancy, and the woman must undergo counselling.

The girl, who was raped repeatedly by her brother, had the abortion about six months after becoming pregnant.

Mirna Novita Amir, one of the teen’s lawyers, welcomed the decision, saying jail is not the place for a rape victim. – AFP