340 dead foetuses in temple

Nov 17, 2010 |

Bangkok, Nov. 16: More than 340 human foetuses, apparently from an illegal abortion clinic, were discovered inside a Buddhist temple in central Bangkok, Thai police said on Tuesday.

A total of 348 corpses, wrapped in plastic bags and newspaper, were found by a member of temple staff in a mortuary storage area.

The police colonel, Mr Metee Rakphan, said plastic bags were found “with foetal corpses inside hidden in the storehouse of a temple”.

“We assume that they were from illegal abortion clinics, and we are now investigating,” he said, adding that they were questioning the temple mortician.

One rescue worker with the Poh Teck Tung foundation, a charity that provides emergency rescue and body recovery services, said up to 500 foetuses could eventually be uncovered.

Buddhist temples in Thailand not only perform cremation ceremonies, but also store bodies in specially refrigerated areas.

Abortion is illegal in Thailand except when it is judged that delivery would harm the mother or when the pregnancy is the result of rape.

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