Two face jail terms for illegal abortions

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor has asked the Central Jakarta District Court to sentence a clinic owner and a midwife to three years and two years in prison and fine them Rp 3 million and Rp 2 million respectively for performing illegal abortions.

Prosecutor F.M. Tahalele told the court Friday that Herlin Herlina Taewa, 45, the owner of Herlina Clinic in Tanah Tinggi, and the clinic's midwife, Yuli Budiarti, 39, had illegally aborted between 15 babies and 20 babies a day from 1989 until they were arrested last December.

Tahalele said Herlina charged her patients -- aged between 12 years and 34 years -- from Rp 200,000 to Rp 600,000, depending on the stage of the pregnancy.

"Sixty percent of the fees were given to two doctors, Jaya Lelana and Budiman, who worked at the clinic. Herlina kept the remaining 40 percent," she said.

The prosecutor said Yuli, who worked at the clinic three days a week, was paid Rp 50,000 a day.

Herlina examined the pregnant women and decided the abortion fee before it was performed by the doctors. Yuli prepared the medication and anesthetic for the patients, she said.

"The defendants have expressed their regret and promised not to conduct the illegal practice again," Tahalele said.

Prosecutor Tahalele said yesterday that Herlina and Yuli had violated Article 15 (1) of Health Law No. 23/1992.

Presiding judge Agus A.G. Dewata adjourned the trial for two week to hear the defendants' pleas.

The defendants are among 13 suspects, including the two doctors hired by Herlina, arrested in illegal abortion practices which hit the headlines late last year.

The suspects were apprehended by police following the discovery of 11 babies and fetuses wrapped in plastic bags at a garbage dump in Warakas, North Jakarta, last November.

Last Monday, a prosecutor asked the same court to sentence another defendant, also a clinic owner, with the same sentence.

Like Herlina, Kurniasih, alias Cicih, of the Amalia clinic, also hired doctors Jaya Lelana and Budiman for the illegal procedures.

Jaya is a military doctor and will be tried by a military tribunal. Budiman has already appeared in the Central Jakarta District Court.

A prosecutor will make the sentencing demand for Budiman next Friday. (jun)