Director accused of raping teen maid

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang

After the disturbing Nirmala Bonat case, an Indonesian maid who was brutally abused in Malaysia recently, another worker, also from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has become a victim of sexual violence.

Yeskial Natonis, 32, the director of the overseas labor recruitment agency PT Pra, was arrested by police in the NTT capital of Kupang for allegedly raping an 18-year-old maid from South Central Timor regency.

Kupang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Nugroho stated on Tuesday that the evidence gathered by his officers showed that Yeskial was indeed the perpetrator, although the suspect has denied any wrongdoing.

Medical examinations of the victim, conducted by the Bayangkara police hospital, found injuries on her body consistent with those that other rape victims typically incur, Agus said, while adding that the medical exams confirmed the statements from witnesses.

Speaking to reporters at the Kupang police station, the victim explained how she was raped twice last Friday and Sunday night in Kupang and named Yeskial as the accused.

The first case took place at an empty building on in the Oesapa neighborhood on Friday and the second incident at a private room in a bar on Sunday, the victim added.

She did not explain, however, why she had not reported the case after the first assault.

"I stayed in Kupang temporarily with Yeskial who then raped me," she said.

"At the time I was invited by him to take a walk. I accepted his offer because he is the director of the recruitment agency (that sent me to Malaysia). So I considered him like my own parent who would not likely abuse me," she said.

The victim explained that she was on a one-week holiday from her job in Malaysia to see her family in South Central Timor. She had planned to fly back for work this week.

The suspect has been formally charged with sexual abuse and rape.

This most recent case comes less than a month after Nirmala Bonat's abuse case shocked Malaysia and Indonesia in May.

Nirmala, who was employed as a maid in Malaysia, was found crying by security guards outside the plush apartment compound where she worked, with terrible wounds all over her body.

Her Malaysian employer is now on trial and is facing a maximum prison term of 80 years if found guilty.

Poor protection by authorities and poor preparation by the sending agencies have been blamed for frequent abuse cases against Indonesian workers.