A woman who is currently unemployed has entered a guilty plea for attempting to terminate her pregnancy in July. This action is considered an offense under Section 315 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 10 years or a fine, or both, if convicted. The 22-year-old defendant will not learn her fate until November 2, as the Magistrates’ Court is awaiting her social report, taking into account that the incident occurred when she was 21 years old.
According to the details of the case, the woman was admitted to the Women and Children’s Hospital in Likas due to severe abdominal pain, where she was subsequently found to be 25 weeks pregnant. Shortly after, she gave birth to an 800g fetus, which tragically passed away an hour later. The court was further informed that the day before going to the hospital, on July 4, the woman purchased three pills in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy.
The court also heard that the woman, who had a fiancé, was unaware of her pregnancy due to irregular menstrual cycles, only discovering her condition in June. Feeling fearful and ashamed, she made the decision to attempt an abortion. The defense counsel, Lim Ming Zoong, pointed out that the accused was a youthful offender at the time of the incident and requested a social report to be prepared for her.
In terms of bail, the prosecution suggested a sum of RM2,500 with one surety. Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali granted bail with one surety until the next mention date.
Section 315 of the penal code specifies that “an act done with intent to prevent a child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth” is a criminal offense, unless it is performed to save the life of the mother.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
