A prisoner at the Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta named Anwar (a.k.a. Rijal) managed to escape from the prison last Thursday, allegedly with the help of his wife.
Police believe that Anwar, who was convicted of raping and murdering a 12-year-old, was able to sneak out of the prison along with visitors to the facility while disguised as a women using clothes smuggled to him by his spouse, Ade Irma.
“Allegedly Anwar fled while wearing an abaya [a loose fitting robe-like dress worn by some Muslim women] and headscarf brought to him by his wife,” Cempaka Putih Police Chief Commissioner Iwan Gunadi said on Friday, as quoted by Tempo.
Iwan said that the prison was full of prisoners last Thursday, which was the second day of the Idul Fitri holiday, which helped Anwar to escape. He also said that the prison’s new warden only realized that Anwar had escaped at 10pm that day when guards were doing a check of each cell block.
“Currently, officers of the Cempaka Putih Police are pursuing Anwar,” Iwan said.
Anwar was convicted of the rape and murder of a 12-year-old student on June 23 of this year and was given a life sentence by the Central Jakarta criminal court..
