Man may get 5 years for raping maid

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutor H.P.W. Soekewi urged the North Jakarta District Court, yesterday, to sentence Ferdinand Sitompul to five years imprisonment for allegedly raping a maid.

"Your honor -- Ferdinand has, beyond any doubt, been found guilty of raping and battering a maid," said Soekewi. She added that Sitompul deserved five years imprisonment.

She said that the defendant, a 25-year old unemployed man, together with his five friends -- Leonard Nainggolan, Turman Silitonga, Liberti Nainggolan, Heri Maruli Siahaan and Tono -- had raped a domestic helper, identified only as Ls., on Feb. 22 at 11 p.m. inside Budi Utama school building in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

In an earlier session, Ls. testified that on the night of Feb. 22, she and Binem, another domestic helper, left her employer's house to buy some noodles at a food shop. On her way home, defendant Heri reportedly grabbed her and took her to a closed food stall in front of the school while Binem managed to escape.

She said that other five defendants, including Ferdinand, helped Heri take her into an empty school building where the six gang-raped the victim.

According to the prosecutor, Mrs. Nurhayati, Ls's employer, woke up at 1 a.m. and got curious about the fact that one of her maids was missing. Reportedly, she then told Binem to accompany her to find Ls.

Nurhayati was said to have found the victim in bad condition outside the school building and took her home. The next morning, she took her to the hospital for a medical examination.

Nurhayati then reported the rape to the police and three days later Ferdinand, Leonard, Turman and Liberti were captured by police. Heri and Tono are still at large.

Leonard, Turman and Liberti are being tried for the same crime in separate trials.

Ferdinand's trial was adjourned until next week. (03)