Son of Bekasi politician accused of rape surrenders to police

The son of a politician in Bekasi City, West Java who allegedly raped and offered up his then-underage girlfriend for prostitution finally surrendered to the police this morning after about a month since the case was reported to authorities.

Also Read — Teen raped by son of Bekasi official was also offered up for prostitution: Child Protection Agency

The alleged perpetrator, identified as AT, previously skipped two police summons, and reportedly fled following massive media coverage of his crimes against the victim, identified as 15-year-old PU. His attorney Bambang Sunaryo said that his family picked him up at a friend’s house in the West Java capital of Bandung where he had been hiding before surrendering him to authorities. 

“He was handed over by his family and attorney at 4am today,” Erna Ruwsing, who heads Bekasi Metro Police’s Public Relations Unit, said today.

Erna said AT is undergoing intensive questioning for his alleged crimes of statutory rape and human trafficking. 

According to reports, AT’s father is a member of Bekasi City Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).

PU’s mother, LF, said that her daughter was often physically abused by AT, who forced her to have sex with him, which she initially refused. The suspect and victim reportedly dated for about nine months. 

LF eventually filed a report against AT in mid-April, though the latter reportedly kept pushing PU to withdraw it through Whatsapp messages while his family offered to pay for her medical bills. According to LF, PU contracted a sexually transmitted disease, which she reportedly became aware of following the rape. PU had to receive intensive medical treatment as a result, including a surgery to remove a lump in her genital area.

AT also allegedly offered up PU for prostitution through MiChat, a messaging app that has been associated with online sex work in Indonesia. He allegedly facilitated the illicit service from a room at a boarding house (kost), where PU was instructed to just remain inside and serve clients⁠ — which she said could reach up to four or five people a day.