Girl, 15, jailed for having an abortion after being raped by her brother

A 15-year-old Sumatra girl has been jailed for six months for having an abortion. She fell pregnant after being raped eight times by her 17-year-old brother, starting last September.

He has been sentenced to two years for sexually assaulting a minor.

The siblings were arrested in June after a male foetus was found in an oil plantation on the island.

Prosecutors had sought a one year sentence for the girl and and seven years for the boy and are considering an appeal.

Abortion is forbidden in Indonesia unless a woman’s life is at risk or under certain circumstances if she is raped. It is then required to be performed by a registered professional no later than six weeks into pregnancy after counselling.

The girl’s mother is facing separate charges for assisting her daughter.

– AFP