Jon Afrizal, Jambi – The Supreme Court has rejected a cassation appeal filed by the Muarobulian Prosecutor's Office in Jambi in relation to the case of a 15-year-old rape victim charged for undergoing an illegal abortion.
The girl had previously walked free after the Jambi High Court acquitted her of all charges in August last year, but prosecutors appealed the case.
The victim's lawyer, Damai Idiyanto, said that by rejecting the prosecutors' appeal, the court had upheld the acquittal. "This means the victim is free from all lawsuits," he said.
Activists applauded the court's decision, saying that it was a good move for the protection of rape victims. "We have to realize that she was also a rape victim," Save Our Sister spokesperson Zubaidah told The Jakarta Post.
Zubaidah said the prosecutors' statement, which argued that consensual sex resulting in pregnancy had taken place between the victim and her brother, was unreasonable. "A rape victim is a victim and she is still a child," she said.