Indonesian teen raped by her brother sentenced to prison for getting abortion CBSN × ...
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Activists on Monday criticized a six-month prison sentence given to a 15-year-old Indonesi an girl who had an abortion after being repeatedly raped by her brother. The district court in Muara Bulian in Jambi province also sentenced the girl's 18-year-old brother on Thursday to two years' imprisonment for having sex with a minor.
Erasmus Napitupulu, program director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, said the court did not take into account the reason for the abortion.
"The court may decide that she is guilty of having an abortion, but if we see the background that encouraged her to do so, do we need to punish her?" Napitupulu said. "Yes, she violated the law, but she should not be held accountable."
Zubaidah, director of the Embun Pagi Women's School in Jambi, said the girl's sentence was unfair and violated the Child Protection Law.
"It is an incest case that has to be seen more comprehensively than merely an abortion," said Zubaidah, who uses one name.
Abortion is illegal in Indon esia but is allowed in cases of rape, especially if the woman's life is at risk. However, the abortion must take place within 1 1/2 months of becoming pregnant and be performed by professionals.
The girl had her abortion when she was six months' pregnant, court spokesman Listyo Arif Budiman said.
"The judge panel concluded that in spite of being underage, the defendant should have protected the fetus, should have given the fetus the right to life," Budiman said. He noted that because of their ages, the panel ruled that the girl and her brother must undergo rehabilitation at the Institute for Special Education of Children.
Testimony in court said the girl had been raped eight times since September. In May, residents discovered a headless fetus behind their house near a palm oil plantation. Police made the arrests in June.
The girl's mother, who faces charges of aiding the abortion, helped her daughter out of fear of being shamed by nei ghbors, said Singgih Hermawan, the deputy police chief.
The defendants and their lawyers accepted the sentences.
It was not clear whether prosecutors, who had demanded a one-year sentence for the girl and seven years for her brother, would appeal the sentences.
Media reports said villagers who saw the case as incest have decided to banish the siblings from the village.
© 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.- Community Guidelines & FAQ
Featured in World
-
Nicaraguan forces lay siege to symbolic city
"Ortega is in power mostly because he has been able to impose brutality, terror and massacres," said independent and investigative journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro
-
Former President Obama's full speech in South Africa
The former president spoke out about the "politics of fear" and challenges facing global democracy as he honored late South African leader Nelson Mandela
Popular
CBSN Live
watchPopular On CBS News
- 01
Eating hot Cheetos, Takis may have led to teen's gallbladder removal
- 02
Police capture suspect in fatal stabbing on train platform in Calif.
- 03
Police credit teen's uplifting notes on bridge for helping "save six lives"
- 04
Trump considering revoking security clearances from 6 ex-officials
- 05
Venezuela's inflation could top 1 million percent
Latest From "60 Minutes"
-
Ref orming solitary confinement at Pelican Bay
-
Spectacular revelations courtesy of Hubble
-
Saving rhino with helicopters
-
The history and future of Confederate monuments
-
The prodigy whose "first language" is Mozart
-
Seaweed farming and its surprising benefits
-
50 years of "60 Minutes"
-
Human smuggling across the southern border
-
The governor who's castigating the president on climate change
-
The Isle of Eigg
-
Play Video Extreme heat in the West
-
Play Video Behind Oprah's prison story
-
Play Video WH threatens to revoke critics' security clearances
-
Play Video Duck boat recovered
-
Play Video "Iron Man" suit for sale
Popular On CBS News
-
Eating hot Cheetos, Takis may have led to teen's gallbladder removal
-
Police capture suspect in fatal stabbing on train platform in Calif.
-
Police credit teen's uplifting notes on bridge for helping "save six lives"
-
Trump considering revoking security clearances from 6 ex-officials
-
Venezuela's inflation could top 1 million percent
-
58 Photos Summer rock
-
84 Photos Notable deaths in 2018
-
103 Photos Volcanic eruption in Hawaii
-
34 Photos Wildfires scorch U.S., from East to West
-
46 Photos Protests mock Trump during U.K. visit
Latest From CBS News
-
Eating hot Cheetos, Takis may have led to teen's gallbladder removal
-
Police capture suspect in fatal stabbing on train platform in Calif.
-
Trump seeks to revoke security clearances of several former Obama administration officials
-
Florida voters discuss Trump, economy, and fake news before 2018 midterms
-
7/23/18: Red and Blue
-
Police credit teen's uplifting notes on bridge for helping "save six lives"
No comments