Jakarta, July 21: In a shocking and repulsive act, a 15-year-old girl in Indonesia, who was raped by her elder brother, and became pregnant, has been sent to jail for six months for having an abortion, informed an official on Saturday.

The girl was given the jail term alongside her 17-year-old brother. According to media reports, it was a closed hearing at Muara Bulian district court located on the island of Sumatra. This piece of news was confirmed by the court spokesman named Listyo Arif Budiman.

He was quoted saying by news agencies that the girl was charged under the child protection law for having an abortion. Her brother, who raped her, has been sentenced to two years jail-term for sexually assaulting a minor.

Abortion laws in Indonesia are very strict and abortion is forbidden in the country unless a women's life is at risk or under certain 'specific' circumstances.

The abortion laws in Indonesia make it mandatory that an abortion be performed only by a registered professional no later than six weeks into a pregnancy. The law also says that the woman has to undergo counselling.

The girl was raped by her brother eight times, the first assault taking place in Spetember, 2017. The girl had her abortion after six months of pregnancy, said the court spokesman Budiman.

The girl's mother, who helped her in the process, also faces separate charges. The siblings were arrested by police in June, after a male foetus was found near Pulau village in Jambi province at a palm oil plantation. The 2013 World Health Organisation Report states that abortions are responsible for about 30 to 50 per cent of maternal deaths in Indonesia, mentioned the Guardian, in its report.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2018 11:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).