An Indonesian police officer in South Kalimantan has been accused of kidnapping a young girl to hold for ransom in a case that has shocked the province.
The officer, identified as Brigadier Andre Gunawan, an officer with the Kotabaru Regency Police, was arrested on Saturday in connection with the kidnapping of a 14-year-old junior high school student, identified by her initials AN. However, Andre somehow managed to escape police custody only to be hunted down and arrested again early on Sunday morning.
AN was kidnapped on Wednesday afternoon while she was waiting for her parents to pick her up from school. Shortly after, her parents said they received a call demanding IDR150 million (US$10,650) to secure her safe release.
According to the police, her parents said they couldn’t reply with the kidnapper’s request, not even when he lowered his amount to IDR50 million. Shortly thereafter, AN was found at an undisclosed location in Kotabaru’s Cempaka district, traumatized with her hands and feet still bound.
The police’s investigation into her kidnapping soon led them to Andre, who was arrested on early on Saturday morning before escaping later that day, allegedly after he walked out of an unguarded back door at the police station and was able to steal a car in the parking lot. A manhunt ensued involving sniffer dogs that eventually led to police re-arresting him early on Sunday morning — after shooting him four times in the legs.
Andre, a father with two young children of his own who reportedly makes IDR 4 million per month, told investigators that he committed the kidnapping due to desperation over his debt. He claimed to not know AN personally.
The police say that Andre could face up to 15 years in prison for child kidnapping and endangerment. Investigators said they are also looking into allegations that AN was sexually abused while Andre held her captive.
“We apologize that one of our members could commit this crime. We ensure that law enforcement is indiscriminate. Hopefully this will be the last time something like this ever happens,” said South Kalimantan Regional Police Chief Irianto as quoted by Jejakrekam.
