Five arrested for dumping aborted babies

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)