TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Metro Jaya Police spokesperson, Sr. Comsr. Yusri Yunus said patients of the abortion clinic in Paseban, Central Jakarta, could face criminal charges as the action violates Indonesia’s Law on Health.

“They (the patients) can be subjected to criminal proceedings as the Health Law bans illegal abortion,” said Yusri at the Metro Jaya Police in South Jakarta on February 18.

The law mentioned by the police refers to Health Law’s Article 194 that states; “Every person who consciously partakes in acts of abortion as mentioned in Article 75 (2) can be subject to conviction up to 10 years imprisonment and fines up to Rp1 billion.”

However, Yusri admitted that his institution is finding it difficult to track down former patients of the illegal clinic as it does not properly record the identities of the patients. Up to this day, police say there had been 1,632 patients with 903 committing abortion.

“The investigation is hampered by the incomplete identities of nearly all of the 903 patients. There are only identity cards with their names and age,” said Yusri. Police say the clinic is able to generate profit up to Rp5.4 billion.

The Central Jakarta Police raided the illegal clinic on February 11, 2020, following leads from the local residents about illegal abortion practices in the clinic. Authorities arrested the doctor, midwife, and clinic staff who had just conducted an abortion on two patients.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH