Criminal Liability in Abortion Cases: Participation Doctrine under Indonesia’s New Penal Code

Aida Ardini; Novita Alyapaskah  Sianturi; Naomi Windi Listiani  Lubis

doi:10.26623/julr.v9i3.14312

Authors

Aida Ardini Universitas Prima Indonesia
Novita Alyapaskah Sianturi Universitas Prima Indonesia
Naomi Windi Listiani Lubis Universitas Prima Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26623/julr.v9i3.14312

Keywords:

Abortion; Criminal Code Reform; Criminal Liability; Court Decisions

Abstract

This study aims to examine the construction of criminal liability for participants in abortion-related offenses and evaluate judicial reasoning in Decision Number 721/Pid.Sus/2019/PN Cikarang, and assess its compatibility with the paradigm shift introduced by Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. The research is motivated by the persistent doctrinal ambiguity in distinguishing co-perpetrators (medepleger) from accomplices (medeplichtige) in abortion cases, which creates uncertainty in attributing criminal responsibility and determining proportional sanctions. Employing a normative juridical method with statutory, doctrinal, and case approaches, this study analyzes relevant legal norms, judicial considerations, and the evolving framework of criminal liability under Indonesia’s criminal law reform. The findings demonstrate that the defendant’s liability was established through active participation in facilitating an unlawful abortion and was judicially classified as a co-perpetrator. However, the decision reveals a conceptual weakness in differentiating essential participation from auxiliary assistance, resulting in a predominantly formalistic application of participation doctrine. The study further finds that Law Number 1 of 2023 introduces a more contextual and differentiated model of criminal liability through clearer role attribution, proportional sentencing, and recognition of humanitarian considerations. The novelty of this research lies in integrating participation doctrine with the theory of functional perpetration and a comparative analysis of the old and new Criminal Codes to develop a more precise framework for assessing facilitators’ criminal responsibility in abortion-related offenses. The study contributes to the refinement of Indonesian criminal law by advancing a proportional, contextual, and human rights-oriented approach to participation and sentencing.

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