Sat, 03 Jan 1998

Abortion and rape

From Kompas

Religious dignitaries, professionals and many other people have stated that abortion is prohibited except if there is a medical reason for it, i.e. to save a woman's life if her pregnancy threatens it.

Opinions expressed in the media assume that recently exposed abortions were due to sex out of wedlock or husbands and wives not wanting the child.

What about abortions resulting from rape? So far I have not heard any opinion on the matter.

What if an underage girl is raped and becomes pregnant. Is abortion allowed or prohibited? If abortion is prohibited, isn't the girl's life sliding from bad to worse? Psychological, mental, physical, and financial factors will influence her life in the context of finding a husband and raising her child resulting from the rape. Is this not severe punishment for the rape victim?

In a recent TV interview, I heard a medical person say that in Malaysia, abortion is permitted in three cases: to save the life of a pregnant woman, in cases of incest and in cases of rape.

What is the situation in Indonesia?

R. SOEROSO

Jakarta