Two face jail terms for illegal abortions

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)