A jewelry store owner in Denpasar is facing jail time after his ex-girlfriend reported him to the police for attempted murder as he allegedly forced her to have an abortion when they were together.
The 28-year-old man, known by his initials FSB, was reported to the Denpasar Police by his former girlfriend, ELG, 27. The complainant stated that she was involved in a relationship with FSB that started in 2018 despite his family’s disapproval towards her.
Speaking to reporters with her lawyer, Siti Sapurah, by her side, ELG said that after becoming pregnant in April 2021, her ex-boyfriend went above and beyond to convince her to terminate the pregnancy. He connected her to an unnamed midwife and suggested she take various pills.
“But I refused,” she said.
Both sets of parents met in order to find a solution. FSB’s parents supported their son’s wish to terminate their pregnancy, while ELG’s parents refused.
Several months after ELG’s pregnancy announcement, FSB changed his mind and asked for her hand in marriage. FSB’s father reportedly intervened and suggested that they perform nikah siri instead, which is a marriage that meets religious customs but is not recognized by the state.
FSB and ELG eventually split up.
FSB’s family also allegedly offered ELG IDR150 million (US$10,068) to never mention the child again.
“I don’t want him to go to jail. I just want them to accept the baby,” said ELG.
Denpasar Police spokesman Ketut Sukadi said that his department is investigating the case.
Under Indonesian law, ELG may face up to nine years behind bars if proven guilty of attempted murder by a court.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country by population, outlaws abortion with few exceptions, such as if the pregnancy is the result of a rape or if a pregnancy threatens a woman’s life. Yet illegal abortion clinics still exist, including in Bali.
In some cases, women who wish to keep their pregnancy are forced into getting abortions due to social stigma or pressure from their partner. In December 2021, a college student committed suicide by her father’s grave in Mojokerto after she was raped by her cop boyfriend, who, along with his family, then forced her to have two abortions.
