Foreign
An Indonesian Appeals Court has overturned a six-month jail sentence handed to a 15-year-old girl for abortion of pregnancy that resulted from being raped by her brother.
In a decision slammed by human rights groups, a district court in Jambi province on the island of Sumatra in July found the girl guilty of illegal abortion and handed her the prison term.
“The abortion was carried out in an emergency situation, therefore, she has been acquitted of all charges,’’ a judge examining the appeal at the Jambi High Court, John Tambunan, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The girl became pregnant after her 18-year-old brother raped her eight times over the past year.
The brother was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for sexual assault.
Abortion is illegal in Indonesia, but it is allowed under certain exceptions, such as for rape victims, who can terminate their pregnancy if it is less than 40 days old. (dpa/NAN)
Tags: Indonesian teen rape victim’s abortion conviction overturned
