Remains of aborted fetuses to be checked
JAKARTA (JP): Lebak Police subprecinct in West Java plan to send the remains of 54 aborted fetuses found buried at a residential property in the area to National Police Headquarters in Jakarta for a forensic examination on Monday, an officer said on Saturday.
Lebak Police chief Lt. Col. Sulistiyono said the examination at the National Police forensic laboratory was needed to build a case over the abortions allegedly committed by local resident Widah Wiratnasih, in her 40s.
"We need to know, for example, the estimated ages of the fetuses, before we can proceed with our investigation," Sulistiyono told The Jakarta Post by phone on Saturday.
The fetuses, believed to have been aborted at between two and nine months, were found on Aug. 28 buried in the backyard of Widah's residence in Cikotok village.
Abortion is a crime in Indonesia.
During preliminary questioning, Widah, who practiced as a midwife in the village, admitted to have begun burying the fetuses in 1997, when she started aborting unwanted babies for women.
Sulistiyono said the suspects statement would be checked against the results of the forensic tests in Jakarta.
According to police, Widah said some of her clients came from other areas, including Jakarta, and she received Rp 1 million (US$127) per client.
Local police detectives are checking the possibility of the involvement of other people in the business, Sulistiyono said.
Police so far suspect a relative of Widah, identified only as Uci, to have been involved in the abortion practices, the officer said.
But Sulistiyono refused to elaborate on Uci's suspected role.
The officer said the discovery of bones in the tiny backyard of Widah's home were based on a tip-off from neighbors over her alleged role as a buyer of stolen motorcycles.
When police searched her house, they found two of the reportedly stolen bikes and also the remains.
"In the beginning, we found only seven remains. We conducted another search the next day as I suspected that there would be more remains there," Sulistiyono explained.
The fetuses were said to have been buried about 20 centimeters below ground, making it an easy task for the officers to dig them out.
Conducting and helping with abortions are punishable under Articles 348 and 349 of the Criminal Code. The articles carry a maximum penalty of five years and six months, and the possible revocation of any medical licenses.
Late in 1997, the country was rocked by the discovery of 11 fetuses wrapped in three plastics bags at a garbage dump on Jl. Warakas in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, and several others in the backyard of a school for disabled children and a clinic site in Central Jakarta.
Police named at least 13 people as being involved, including staff from the clinic and a doctor, who is also an Army lieutenant colonel. (03/bsr)