Man sentenced to 7 years for rape

JAKARTA (JP): The West Jakarta District Court sentenced a man yesterday to seven years in jail for rape.

Presiding judge Yulie Moein said the defendant, Tju Kim Djung, 32, was found guilty of raping Eli Jumaroh, 23, on Oct. 24 last year in his house on Jl. Kramat in Tambora district.

Prosecutor R. Simon had earlier demanded a nine-year jail sentence.

According to Moein, Tju raped Eli who was sleeping at his house after having just arrived from her village of Pemalang, Central Java to look for work in the capital.

After committing the crime, Tju, a private employee, handed the victim a Rp 20,000 bill, said Moein.

"Take this money. You came to the city to find a job. Therefore, you need money, don't you?" Tju was quoted by judge Moein as saying.

After giving the money, Tju hastily left Eli, worrying that his wife, Kasniah alias Santi, 20, might return home and catch him with the victim, said Moein.

Santi had accompanied the victim from her hometown to the capital after promising to help her find a job, said the presiding judge.

When Santi arrived home later, she found Eli crying, said the judge.

After being told about the rape, Santi found her husband relaxing in another room of the house, he said.

The defendant beat Santi after she tried to question him about the incident, he said.

The housewife immediately left the house to seek help from neighbors who brought Tju to the nearby police subprecinct, he said.

According to Moein, Santi left Eli alone in the house that evening while attempting to find a job for her friend.

Tju had left the house earlier, saying that he was going to a discotheque, he said.

Tju came back home at 10 p.m. and then raped Eli, he said. (jun)