An assistant undertaker, involved in the 2,002 aborted fetuses discovered at a temple in Bangkok, was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Thursday.
The South Bangkok Criminal Court sentenced Suchart Phumee, 39, an assistant undertaker at Wat Phai Ngern Chotanaram in Bang Kholaem district in Bangkok, to a combined 8,008 months in jail, four months for each of the fetuses. The jail term was halved to 4, 004 months because of his confession.
However, the law limits the combined jail term to 20 years. Therefore, Suchart is to serve 20 years in jail.
In this case, the prosecutors indicted Suthep Chabangbon, 47, an undertaker at the temple, and his assistant, Suchart, for helping former nursing assistant Lanchakorn Jantamas dispose of bodies of 2,002 aborted fetuses after she performed illegal abortions for women with unwanted pregnancies.
The offense occurred between Nov. 1, 2009 and Nov. 13, 2010.
As Suthep, the other defendant, denied the charges, The court ordered the prosecutors to resubmit a case against Mr. Suthep in seven days.
The discovery of a huge number of aborted fetuses in a Buddhist temple in Bangkok followed by police raids on several abortion clinics.
Thai law permits an abortion if pregnancy is the result of rape and incest, or if it endangers the mother's life.