Suspect admits fetuses dumped in septic tank

JAKARTA (JP): The owner of an alleged abortion clinic, Herlina, has admitted dumping fetuses of up to four months gestation in the clinic's septic tank, a police officer said yesterday.

The officer, who did not want to be named, said the 45-year- old nurse claimed that older fetuses were usually buried at several locations, including the grounds of her Fajar Pengharapan Clinic on Jl. Tanah Tinggi IV in Central Jakarta.

He said Herlina also conceded that her fees for the procedure were at least twice as cheap as those set by her colleagues in Central Jakarta.

"She asked for about Rp 250,000 (US$71) to abort a pregnancy with a gestation of two to three months, Rp 350,000 for four months and Rp 500,000 for five months. She charged higher fees for fetuses in the final trimester."

Another suspect, Kampret, who was allegedly hired by Herlina to dump the infants, told police interrogators that about 10 babies were aborted every day at Herlina's clinic during the past two years, the source said.

Kampret, who was paid Rp 10,000 per task, also worked for nearby Amalia Clinic, which is allegedly owned by Kurniasih, another suspect, he said.

The two clinics have dumped hundreds of aborted babies, the officer quoted Kampret as saying.

Herlina allegedly told interrogators that she ran the business in cooperation with six other clinics in North and Central Jakarta, especially in the Cikini area.

As of yesterday, 14 people, including two doctors, have been detained by the city police for their alleged role in abortions and the dumping of fetuses and babies.

Police are still searching for other suspects who have been identified following the discovery of 11 fetuses and babies in Warakas, North Jakarta, late last month.

Three of the dumped bodies were allegedly from Amalia Clinic, while the remaining came from Herlina's.

The latest suspect in the case was identified as Ester, an assistant at both Herlina's and the Amalia clinic. She was apprehended Monday evening.

One of the suspects is a lieutenant colonel who also works as a doctor.

During interrogation, he allegedly admitted aborting about 10 babies per day at the two clinics.

Following the detention of the suspects, most of whom turned themselves in to police, forensic experts from National Police Headquarters and Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital have amassed a pile of "tiny" bones and skulls unearthed at Herlina's clinic and a school for disabled children in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

According to Cipto's forensic doctor Budi Sampurna, the bones belong to dozens of babies.

The precise number has not been determined because "counting is continuing", he said.

Budi said that most of the fetuses were less than seven months gestation and they may have been buried in recent weeks rather than years or months ago.

He called on the city police to stop searching for more bones because it was "a waste of time and energy".

"Police don't have to continue. (The evidence) is enough already.

"If police require accurate evidence, they could seize the clinics' admission books and other related documents that could provide further details about the real number of victims."

Cipto's forensic team has taken DNA from some of the bodies, hoping that it could help establish maternity and ensure the mothers are prosecuted, he said.

In a related development yesterday, chairman of the Jakarta branch of Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), Agus Purwadianto, said the association's ethics honorary board had issued a statement about the implicated doctors.

"It's clear enough to us now that those doctors were merely aborting fetuses to earn money or for related business reasons.

"Those doctors will face accusations on three different levels, namely criminal charges, ethical violations and from the health department for the misuse of their licenses."

A city councilor urged the Jakarta Health Office to be more selective in handing out licenses to clinics and midwives in a bid to reduce the number of abortion practices.

The secretary of Commission D for welfare affairs, Agus Waluyo, said the health office should ensure applicants are skilled enough and would not misuse their training.

Agus said that control had been lax in the past.

"The office is so passive that it only receives reports and never checks the reports on the spot.

"Actually, it's easy to monitor malpractice if the office is actively controlling the certification of clinics and midwives," he said. (cst/04/ind)