Abortion inquiry suspect in alleged suicide attempt

Abortion inquiry suspect in alleged suicide attempt

JAKARTA (JP): One of two doctors allegedly involved in
abortion practices attempted to commit suicide at Jakarta Police
Headquarters yesterday afternoon, an officer said.

Dr. Budiman, 50, slit both wrists with a razor blade after
getting permission from interrogators to go to the restroom
during a questioning session, city police spokesman Lt. Col. E.
Aritonang said.

"He allegedly found the razor blade in the restroom, which is
located in the same area as the room where most of the suspects
were being questioned."

Aritonang said an investigation was underway to determine how
the blade was left behind. "It's still not clear yet."

Budiman, who worked at state-run Tangerang General Hospital
but also allegedly worked at two abortion clinics, is now being
treated at Mintohardjo Navy Hospital in Bendungan Hilir, Central
Jakarta.

A doctor at the hospital said that Budiman lost at least a
liter of blood from the wounds.

"He was unconscious when he got here. He lost a lot of blood
because he apparently slit not only the veins but also the
arteries in his wrists," the doctor, who did not want to be
identified, said.

Budiman received blood infusions and oxygen and, about 3 p.m.,
he was taken to the operating room for surgery.

"If the operation goes well, he'll fully recover. He's lucky
because he was brought here quickly and we minimized the
bleeding."

The alleged suicide attempt took place about 2:30 p.m.

Reporters who gathered at the hospital yesterday were not
allowed near the operating room and an undercover detective and
two marines guarded the door.

Police were still unsure about Budiman's motives for allegedly
attempting to end his life.

A reliable police source said Budiman spent almost five
minutes in the toilet before interrogators heard a noise coming
from the restroom.

"They forced open the cubical's aluminum door, which was
locked from inside," he said.

The source, who did not want to be identified, said Budiman
was found on the floor with blood gushing from his wrists.

He said police were concerned the incident might affect
Budiman's psychological condition.

"We don't know whether he had planned it. But we do hope that
he'll recover soon so that we can proceed with our
investigation."

Aritonang said that Budiman and 12 other suspects in the
abortions and dumping of fetuses and babies were being
interrogated by city police and Military Police investigators.

Military Police are involved because one of the suspects, a
doctor, is a lieutenant colonel. Due to his status, Lt. Col. Jaya
Lelana, 50, has been detained at Military Police Headquarters.

The 14 suspects, including two clinic owners, were apprehended
after the discovery of 11 fetuses and babies in Warakas, North
Jakarta, late last month.

Police are still tracing the whereabouts of several other
people believed to have been involved in the practices.

The chief of Jakarta Police Detectives, Col. Gories Mere, said
police would start questioning the clinics' clients today.

"Actually, it was scheduled to start today (Wednesday) but,
for some reason, we postponed questioning until tomorrow," he
said, without elaborating.

Gories said the women had been identified from the clinics'
admission books and related documents at the Amalia and Fajar
Pengharapan clinics, North Jakarta, which have been sealed off
since the owners' arrest.

He said police intend to question the women about their
reasons for having abortions and they could be required to act as
witnesses in the court cases.

"We will investigate them thoroughly and, if necessary, we'll
conduct DNA tests -- with the help of forensic experts -- to
match the women's DNA with the fetuses."

When asked to comment, forensic expert Djaja Surya Atmaja of
Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital supported the police
investigation but emphasized the expenses involved in DNA
testing.

"Who will pay for it as it costs Rp 800,000 (US$210) per test.

"We're indeed ready to do it any time the police want," he
said, but strongly suggested that police finish questioning the
suspects first.

The number of women who went to the clinics for abortions
could be in the hundreds and their motives could merely have been
to avoid the stigma of being an unwed mother, he said.

Djaja said the doctors at Cipto had extracted DNA from five of
the 11 fetuses discovered in Warakas.

A pile of "tiny" bones and skulls have been collected
following the Warakas finding and disclosures about other burial
sites. Forensic experts believe the bones belong to dozens of
fetuses.

Djaja reminded the public that incidence of infanticide had
increased significantly in recent years.

"Abortion is relatively expensive and within the means of only
certain classes in our society, so killing newborns is the only
way for them to solve the problem."

He said that about 60 babies were choked or strangulated to
death every year.

"Such action is more sadistic but people usually prefer that
method because they know that abortion is forbidden." (cst/04)