Bekasi rocked by another robbery and gang rape
Bekasi rocked by another robbery and gang rape
BEKASI (JP): Bekasi has been rocked by another robbery and gang rape. The latest incident occurred in Lengahjaya village, Cabangbungin district, on Sunday.
Police are still hunting four suspects from last Tuesday's robbery and gang rape in the village of Cikedokan, also in Bekasi.
"At least 20 people have been questioned over Sunday's crime but the police have yet to come to any conclusion," Bekasi Police Chief Lt. Col. Elfrizo Tobing said yesterday.
The incident, the fifth in Bekasi during March, took place at a house belonging to H. Jeli, 60, in Kampung Batujaya of Lengahjaya village, Cabangbungin, 60 kilometers north of central Bekasi.
At least five masked men armed with sharp weapons broke into Jeli's house, stole Rp 5 million in cash, jewelry and electronics goods and raped Jeli's wife before leaving.
"I'm an old woman, why did they rape me?" asked the victim.
Tobing said that police are still hunting for four of seven suspects after last Tuesday's robbery and gang rape in Kampung Kemurang in the village of Cikedokan,
The other three, identified as Lanzan, 27, Wadi, 25, and Calim, 29, were arrested on March 20, a day after the robbery, at their respective houses at the Cibitung village, said here yesterday.
The three suspects were identified and arrested thanks to the statements gathered from the victim's neighbors, Tobing said.
"We were informed that a number of men had come to the scene a day earlier for unknown reasons," he said.
At around 1 a.m. the next day, the seven-member group, wearing masks and holding sharp weapons, broke into the house. Before making off with a Suzuki carry minibus, 98 grams of gold jewelry and some electronic equipments, some of the group members are believed to have raped Sutisna's 27-year-old wife.
"Preliminary investigation said that it was Calim who allegedly raped the housewife," Tobing said.
After breaking into the small trader's home, the group is believed to have broken into a neighboring house belonging to Empe, 55. The robbers stole Rp 90,000 and five grams of gold jewelry. They sexually molested two of Empe's teenage daughters before leaving.
"We're still collecting information in connection with this case," Tobing said.
Aware of the increasing trend of the brutality of the robbers, spokesman Iman urged the community to strengthen their self- sponsored nightwatch system.
"Looking at the small number of police personnel and the huge area of Bekasi, we hope that the local people are willing to help the police to guard their own communities by working together to combat the criminals," Iman said.
Bekasi, located east of Jakarta, currently has 1,150 police personnel, compared to 2.7 million inhabitants. Its area, comprised mostly of small, isolated villages, is almost two times larger than the capital.
Another similar case occurred Monday last week when a group of three robbers broke into the bamboo house of Ijo, 40, a poor farmer in Kampung Sungailahang in the Pantai Harapan Jaya village. The robbers stole 50 grams of gold jewelry before raping the farmer's 35-year-old wife. (bsr)