Women in Jakarta have been warned by the media to avoid quiet pedestrian bridges after an incident last November in which a woman was sexually assaulted on a road crossing bridge in Pondok Indah.
But the unfortunate reality is that sexual assaults can take place even in crowded areas. The latest sexual assault to take place on a pedestrian bridge happened yesterday at the busy Sudirman Station pedestrian bridge in broad daylight.
The suspect, identified as Agil, allegedly groped the breasts of a 21-year-old woman who was wearing a headscarf as she was walking on the bridge. Agil’s action caught the attention of other pedestrians on the bridge, who captured and beat him before handing him over to the police.
“The suspect is charged with Article 281 of the Criminal Code,” said Commissioner Ridwan M Soplanit, head of the Crime Investigation Unit for the Menteng precinct, as quoted by Vivanews today.
That particular criminal charge carries a two year and eight months prison sentence.
Agil confessed his misdemeanor to the police, saying that he had just finished watching porn on his phone before groping the young woman.
