Khofifah voices concern over abortion case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of the Empowerment of Women
\nKhofifah Indar Parawansa called on Tuesday for tough measures
\nagainst three people, including a doctor and midwife, accused of
\nperforming abortions in the capital.<\/p>\n
\"I hope law enforcers could apply Law No. 23 on Health which
\nprovides maximum penalties for medical staff who dare to perform
\nsuch (illegal) procedures,\" Khofifah told reporters.<\/p>\n
She said the suspects, as medical professionals, should have
\nunderstood the ethical principles of their work and rejected any
\nrequests for abortions.<\/p>\n
\"It is clearly stated in the law that such conduct is
\nunethical and should be punished,\" she said.<\/p>\n
North Jakarta Police detectives arrested an obstetrician, a
\nmidwife and an assistant for allegedly performing some 200
\nillegal abortions in the past 11 months.<\/p>\n
The doctor, Agung Waluyo, 41, claimed he conducted the
\nabortions out of sense of social responsibility to assist women
\nin ridding themselves of unwanted pregnancies. He said he charged
\nthem between Rp 600,000 (US$80) and Rp 2 million for the
\nprocedure.<\/p>\n
The midwife, identified as Siti Jubaedah, alias Jujuk, told
\npolice that her role was to assist the doctor and set the charges
\nfor the abortions.<\/p>\n
The man, Arman Sasmita, alias Roby, the doctor's assistant,
\nwas hired to dump the fetuses in a nearby river.<\/p>\n
The abortions were carried out at the doctor's home on Jl.
\nMusik Raya in Kelapa Gading.<\/p>\n
Several cases of illegal abortions have rocked the capital in
\nrecent years. One of the most recent was in 1997 and involved two
\nclinics. News of the abortions surfaced after the bodies of
\naborted fetuses were found dumped on riverbanks and in parks.<\/p>\n
The doctors and midwives involved received jail terms ranging
\nfrom one year to six years each.<\/p>\n
Khofifah also blamed the women for resorting to abortion.<\/p>\n
\"It will be impossible for me to boost women's empowerment if
\nwomen still cannot respect their rights and the dignity of
\nreproduction.\"<\/p>\n
Records<\/p>\n
A reported two million abortions have been performed in the
\ncountry in the last three years, with an estimated 750,000
\ninvolving young, unmarried women.<\/p>\n
\"The increase in the number of abortions is related to the
\ngrowing modern lifestyle that encourages promiscuity and drug use
\namong teenagers,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"And there are paramedics who take advantages of the situation
\nby doing the medically unethical practice.\"<\/p>\n
Khofifah said the United States was among the countries
\npromoting the importance of sexual abstinence among teenagers,
\nbut the opposite trend was occurring in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe the media should help campaign for the importance of
\nvirginity here,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"As the chief of the National Family Planning Board, I will
\nnever recommend abortion as part of the family planning program.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, North Jakarta Police chief Col. Wisjnu Amat Sastro
\nsaid on Tuesday that his detectives were still searching for the
\ndiscarded corpses of the aborted fetuses.<\/p>\n
\"The Sunter river is very strong flowing, and the fetuses
\ncould have reached anywhere. The confessions of the suspects and
\nwitnesses' statements are clear enough. That's all we need to get
\nthe suspects,\" Wisjnu told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the suspects would be charged according to several
\nhealth laws and Article 338 of the Criminal Code on murder.<\/p>\n
The article carries a maximum punishment of a 15-year jail
\nterm. (04\/ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/khofifah-voices-concern-over-abortion-case-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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