Police say a 17-year-old woman escaped the horrific abuse and confinement by her 37-year-old husband in their home in Parung Panjang, Bogor, leading to his arrest.
According to the police, the victim, who is identified by her initials SM, was 13 when she married a bread seller, AA, who is 20 years her senior. As SM was legally underage, AA married her in accordance to religious and traditional values, otherwise known as nikah siri.
After having moved around, AA and SM rented a house in Parung Panjang. AA did not notify neighbors that he was married, allowing him to keep SM confined in the house for almost a year.
Police say that, based on their investigation, AA would leave SM locked in their room for days without food and would often physically abuse her.
“Because she couldn’t cook, the husband got angry and slammed her head against the wall,” Parung Panjang Police Chief Nundun Radiama told reporters Monday, as quoted by Kompas.
AA allegedly last assaulted SM on Friday, resulting in a cut under her left eye. On Saturday, while AA was out, SM broke through the bathroom ceiling and climbed out of confinement. She immediately yelled for help from neighbors.
“When [neighbors] found her, she smelled so foul that they wanted to vomit. And they saw the cut under her eye, and she was pale and skinny,” neighborhood chief Saban said.
SM then called her parents in her hometown of Rangkasbitung, Banten, who then reported the abuse to the police, leading to AA’s arrest.
Police have thus far charged AA with aggravated assault, which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, but may file further charges against him as the investigation into the case continues.
