18 months sought for man accused of 'selling' wife

18 months sought for man accused of 'selling' wife

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutor Esther Datu Rante requested yesterday that Judge Doris A. A. Taulo of South Jakarta District Court sentence Yudi H. Sutikno, the husband accused of "selling" his own wife to panderers, to one-and-a-half years imprisonment.

Esther said Yudi has violated Article 297 of the Criminal Code, which rules that a person who is found guilty "trading" women and under-aged boys faces a maximum of six years imprisonment.

Esther, assisted by Prosecutor Eko Siwi Irianti, said the crime committed by Yudi was disgraceful and also derogatory to women. She added that the defendant was not cooperative because he tended to give twisted statements during his trial.

Yudi was arrested by police after his wife, Rini Sundari, 25, the mother of his two children, reported to police that she was forced by her husband to work as a prostitute from 1986 until early 1994.

In an earlier court session Rini had told the judge that she had married Yudi when she was 14 years old, on May 29, 1984 in Prembun village, Central Java.

Shortly after they married, Yudi asked Rini to offer herself to a stranger in a hotel in Surabaya, East Java, and that he took Rini to Jakarta in 1986, Rini said.

According to Prosecutor Esther, Rini was employed by panderer Yuni Saputra from 1986 to 1987 and worked, from 1987 to 1990. for Hartono Setyawan, the notorious panderer who ran an exclusive brothel in Jl. Prapanca 4, South Jakarta.

The prosecutor said that Rini's "rate" in Hartono's brothel from 1987 to 1990 was Rp 300,000 for three hours of service and Rp 600,000 for 12 hours of service. The rate increased, from 1990 to 1994, to Rp 750,000 for three hours of service and Rp 1.5 million for 12 hours service.

Half of her revenue had to be given to Hartono.

Hartono was sentenced to nine months imprisonment by the same court in December last year.

Rini has said that it was her love for her husband which made her keep working as a prostitute.

She also alleged that her husband used to beat her and that he threatened to pour acid over her face if she refused to work.

Rini said it was Yudi who drove her to the various hotels and motels where she was booked.

Throughout his trial Yudi has always denied that he forced his wife to work as a prostitute.

Yuni Saputra, the woman suspected to have prostituted Rini at her house on Jl. Lembah Cireundeu Permai, South Jakarta, from 1986 to 1987, also refuted Rini's statements.

Her denial was contradictory to her testimony at a police station in August last year, at which time she admitted that she had employed Rini as a call girl and that she took Rp 100,000 from every Rp 300,000 received by Rini.

Prosecutor Eko said that Yuni's denial does not have strong legal bases since it was Yuni herself who told police in August that she employed Rini as a prostitute.

"The prosecutor is still considering whether her earlier confession at the police station is legally valid," the prosecutor said.

Yudi, who came to the courtroom without a lawyer, looked relaxed. He did not cover his face with his hands or put his head down when photographers and television cameramen were filming him.

He kept his head up as the two prosecutors read the sentence request. When the judge told him that he had the right to make a defense statement, Yudi said in a clear voice that he would deliver it in the next session.

The judge adjourned the trial until Feb. 13. (mas)