30 Mar 2017

Though the penal code of Botswana prohibits abortion, procuring and supplying of abortion inducing drugs or utensils within the borders of the country, there are people who have taken advantage of the social media to advertise abortion drugs in the various locations of the country.
Commenting on the issue, station commander, Superintendent, Agreement Mapeu of Mogoditshane Police Station said although they are aware that these offences happen, they are rare to detect and many go unreported.
He pleaded with the public to partner with the police and take the frontline in detecting and reporting any suspicions surrounding abortion activities, be it procuring services, drugs, traditional herbs and equipment, or supplying of drugs used in abortion because they as the force alone are limited in trying to detect such cases.
Because of this, he said they only get a very low number of abortion cases (around two annually), but it is irrefutable that there are a lot more that go undetected.  Mapeu explained that upon investigation of abortion offense, the process of determining it includes evidence from medical personnel, witnesses, sometimes spouses, together with every culprit who might have been involved in attempt or the act of terminating pregnancy. He warned those who are hiding behind social media anonymity to conduct the illegal business of supplying abortion drugs and any other equipment to desist from doing so because they as the law enforcement officers will investigate and ensure that the offenders pay for their offences.
Charges of such offence vary according to the role each accomplice may have had in the attempt or termination of a pregnancy; seven years or less for attempts to procure abortion, three years or less for a woman with child procuring abortion and three years or less for supplying and drugs or instruments to procure abortion.
According to United Nations Population Fund Botswana (UNFPA), unsafe abortion accounted for 21.8% of all maternal deaths in 2014, and remains a threat to maternal mortality rate despite the many available family planning programmes. ENDS