The Royal Palace (Keraton) in Solo
After getting little help from the local police, a teenage girl in Solo has gone to the media with her accusations that the King of Solo, Pakubuwono XIII, drugged and raped her.
The 15-year old vocational high school student said the incident took place back in March, when a friend introduced her to an individual, identified in police reports as W.T., who promised her easy but well-paid work at a cafe to help her pay her school fees.
The victim claims she was picked up in a car and given a piece of candy which caused her to pass out. She says that when she woke up, she was naked in a hotel room with a man she later identified as Pakubuwono XIII, who raped her and gave her Rp. 2 million.
The victim and her family only went to the police after discussing the problem with the royal family and being unable to find a solution. They reported the crime to the police in July but the victim’s lawyers say the police in Solo have been trying to avoid implicating the king, forcing them to go to the media
“Police act as if they don’t trust the victim,” said Iwan Pangka, one of the victim’s lawyers, as quoted by Detik.com. “Police are trying to find excuses that would not lead them in the direction of the king of Solo, such as the possibility that the [person] in the car [who allegedly drugged the girl] was not the king … but his driver.”
Another of the girl’s lawyers, Asri Purwanti, said the victim was pregnant and she was prepared to have her child undergo a DNA test to prove that Pakubowono XIII is the father.
The Sultanate of Solo, also known as Surakarta, is a recognized royal family but no longer possesses any political powers (unlike the Sultanate of Yogyakarta). However, the royal family still commands a great deal of power and respect in the area. When the previous King of Solo, Pakubowono XII, died without any legitimate successors, his 35 children (from six mistresses) divided up into two faction supporting two half-brothers, Hangabehi and Tedjowulan, who both claimed the throne and fought bitterly over the legitimacy of their succession (as detailed in this New York Times article, “In a Sultanate Known as Solo, One Too Many Kings“).
Hangabehi was eventually able to sway most of his family to his side and was acknowledged as the rightful heir in 2009. But if these accusations turn out to be true, it could completely destroy not only his legitimacy but that of the entire royal families.
Suryowicaksono, another one of the king’s brothers, said he was shocked by the accusation, but that he would wait for the results of the police investigation.
“As a relative I am concerned. The palace has suffered many problems. [Pakubowono XIII] should realize that as a king, he should … set an example for others,” Suryowicaksono said.
