A 15-year-old girl from Wangunjaya village in Cianjur, West Java, who was abducted four years ago, has been reunited with her family after her alleged captor was arrested last week.
The victim, who has not been identified, was kidnapped when she was 11 years old by her 57-year-old neighbor, identified by his initials SF. She was reportedly nine months pregnant when she returned, possibly bearing SF’s child.
Cianjur Police’s crime unit chief Niky Ramdhani explained that it all began when SF called the victim’s parents to ask for her massage service, as she was known for her ability and had been regularly requested by the village residents. Niky said that SF had made similar requests in the past, and therefore did not incite any suspicion from the victim’s parents.
“[However], since she left to the suspect’s house to do the massage, the victim never returned home,” Niki told Kompas on Tuesday.
The girl’s parents eventually went to SF’s home to check on her, only to find that SF had left with their daughter. They proceeded to file a police report soon after, and SF was declared a fugitive.
According to reports, SF was constantly on the move with the victim across several locations in West Java, including Garut and Bandung regencies, while he was on the run. They mostly stayed in sheds to evade authorities, and SF worked as a farm laborer to survive, while the victim was also made to work to fulfill their daily needs.
Police said that SF had raped the victim multiple times, which led to her pregnancy.
Niki said authorities were alerted to SF’s whereabouts after he returned home to Wangunjaya, following the victim’s insistence on going back and meeting her parents, which eventually led to his arrest.
SF is charged with child kidnapping under the Criminal Code (KUHP) as well as statutory rape under Indonesia’s Child Protection Law, the latter of which could see him imprisoned for up to 15 years.
