Charges in 'dumped foetus' case

The abortion issue has generated heated debate in Kenya

A Kenyan doctor and two nurses have been charged with murder after 15 foetuses were found in a plastic bag.

In a case which has shocked Kenya, the foetuses were discovered by commuters in a plastic bag dumped on a bridge.

A lawyer said the two murder charges presume that two of the foetuses were old enough to be children.

Abortion is illegal in Kenya and lawyers say the three may face lesser charges in the 13 other cases. The three denied all charges.

Dr John Nyamu, an expert in reproductive health based in the capital, Nairobi, was arrested after some of his patients' documents were found near the dumped foetuses.

The case has ignited a fierce debate in Kenya.

The Catholic Church has been arguing that all abortion is murder, while women's rights groups say that legalisation would lead to abortions being safer for women.

About 700 women die each week in Kenya as a result of problems arising from abortions, while 60% of complications during pregnancy result from either previous abortions or miscarriages, according to medical reports.

Thousands of people attended a special mass for the foetuses earlier this month.