Activists have criticised the jailing of a year-old Indonesian girl who had an abortion after being raped by her brother. A district court in the rural Jambi province sentenced the teenager to six months in prison. Her year-old brother was sentenced to two years for sexual assault of a minor.
Easmus Napitupulu, programme director of the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, said the court did not take into account the reason for the abortion. Zubaidah, director of the Embun Pagi Women School in Jambi, on the island of Sumatra, said the girl's sentence was unfair and violated child protection law.
Abortion is illegal in Indonesia but is allowed in cases of rape. However, it must take place within one and a half months of conception and must be performed by professionals. The girl — who was raped eight times by her brother between September and May — had her abortion when she was six months pregnant. He added that, because of their ages, the panel ruled that both girl and brother must undergo rehabilitation at the country's Institute for Special Education of Children.
Both are understood to have accepted their sentence and will not be appealing. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium.
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