Cop under investigation for alleged sexual assault of 13-year-old pregnant gangrape victim

The police are supposed to serve and protect, but there are unfortunately those who choose to use their power to abuse the very people they are supposed to protect.

The Jakarta Metro Police say they are investigating a case involving an officer, identified Brigadier H of the Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands) sub-precinct, who they say is a suspect in the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.

“The suspect has been interrogated and will be detained,” said Jakarta Metro Police Spokesman Grand Commissioner Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.

Raden added that it’s likely that H will face internal sanctions from the force as well as being punished in accordance to the law.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), who is also overseeing the case, say the teen victim’s woes began on March 13, when she was gangraped by eight men.

The victim and her family were at first scared about reporting the incident to the police, but they eventually did so on July 13 when it became apparent that the victim was pregnant as a result of the sexual abuse she suffered.

“Coincidentally, H is the victim’s neighbor, so he said he would take the victim to the North Jakarta precinct and the KPAI (The National Commission for Child Protection),” said Elang Yayan, head of the Law and Public Relations Division at Kontras.

Instead, H took the victim to his friend’s kost in Koja, North Jakarta, where he allegedly raped her.

The victim and her family then reported that incident to Kontras, who helped them file a police report against H on November 4.

The police did not say what charges H could face for his alleged crimes. There was also no information on whether or not the eight men who first assaulted the victim were ever caught.

The government this year introduced chemical castration as a punishment for convicted pedophiles, with President Joko Widodo justifying the law by saying that there could be “no compromise” when it comes to tackling sex crimes. The government was spurred into introducing the the law after the horrific rape and murder of a 14-year-old in Bengkulu by a gang of men and boys earlier this year.