Police yet to arrest orphanage director who allegedly sexually assaulted children under his care, citing lack of evidence

Police have yet to arrest an orphanage director in Buleleng  who has been accused of sexually assaulting children under his care for years, citing a lack of evidence. In the meantime, four of his alleged victims have reportedly agreed to give the police their statements.

“All of the victims have left the orphanage. They said they were KP’s victim. [Some of them] are reluctant to give a statement to the police because they don’t want to bring up the past,” Gede Anggastia from Buleleng’s Community Development Supervisory Board told Bali Express, referring to the orphanage director by his identified initials.

Bali Express also reported that as many as nine underage orphans who were under KP’s care are believed to have been his victims, though only four – identified by their initials A, I, S and N – have agreed to make a statement.

Nusa Bali reported that several orphans left the orphanage after suffering years of sexual abuse, and only recently reported the abuse to the police.

According to Anggastia, most of the victims are reluctant to give statements because they are still traumatized from the abuse they’d received. He added that one of KP’s victims had gotten pregnant and was forced to leave the orphanage and abort her pregnancy. She was reportedly promised four piglets if she finished the task.

Buleleng Police spokesman Iptu Gede Sumarjaya confirmed that they had received the reports of sexual abuse and said that the Women and Child Protection Unit (PPA) is currently collecting evidence, including statements from the victims.

“So far, we’ve only received a report from one person. We are still looking into it, collecting statements from the victim and witnesses. Our officers don’t yet have the confidence to determine if this really happened, so we’re still collecting evidence and forensic results,” Sumarjaya told Bali Express.

Jawa Pos network reported that the one girl who already reported to the police told authorities that KP would sexually assault her late in the evening, when the other children were asleep. The girl said she remained quiet about the abuse out of fear.