Five arrested for dumping aborted babies

JAKARTA (JP): Police said yesterday they had arrested five people, including a doctor, for their alleged involvement in last week's dumping of the bodies of 11 babies and fetuses at a garbage site in North Jakarta.

City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said at a forensic seminar at University of Indonesia's Medical School that the five were being detained at Jakarta Police headquarters for further questioning.

"The five suspects, including two women, are a doctor and four medical staff," Hamami said.

He declined to give their names.

The five who were arrested might also be charged with participating in illegal abortions, he said.

He said that the police had also cracked down on two clinics for allegedly performing illegal abortions.

Both clinics, identified only by their initials A and H, are in Central Jakarta.

Forensic expert Djaja Surya Atmadja of University of Indonesia, a member of the team that examined the 11 bodies of the babies and fetuses, urged the police to be careful in the handling of this case.

"This is a very sensitive issue because there is a growing public perception that performing an abortion is a negative action," he said.

"This perception is not true. Abortion actually is a very neutral matter. There are certain medical and social factors to consider in the decision to perform an abortion."

Abortion is strictly prohibited under the Criminal Code.

But 1992 Health Law No. 23 Article No. 15 allows abortions under certain medical situations.

It rules that the decision to perform an abortion must be approved by two doctors to maintain objectivity.

Most illegal abortions are performed for non-medical reasons and this itself is part of a big unsolved contradiction, Djaja added.

"For instance, if a 14-year-old girl is pregnant. Some doctors may think it is necessary to perform an abortion, based on the high risk of pregnancy at such a young age. They might also do so for the sake of the girl's future.

"But other doctors may oppose the idea, saying that these are non-medical reasons. Therefore they should not perform an abortion."

To put an end to this contradiction, Djaja said, there should be limitations and indications on what were 'medical' and 'non- medical' conditions in relation to abortion.

"There isn't any rule which clarifies this matter," he said.

Djaja said the most important thing was for the police to maintain a fair and thorough investigation, especially toward the doctor allegedly involved.

"Don't just catch the doctor to ... blame the abortion case on one 'responsible party'."

"Don't just look at the negative side either. Abortion is like a knife, which can be used for good purposes, but also for killing people.

"The guilty party has to be arrested. But that does not mean that the 'knife' must be prohibited or eliminated," he said. (07)