Market security guard allegedly rapes teenager

TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang Police foiled an attempt on Monday by hundreds of traders at the Cikokol market to burn down the house of a man who had allegedly raped a teenage girl.

Chief of the Tangerang City police subprecinct, Capt. Sjamiarso, said that Marsilan, a security guard at the market, was accused by the residents to have raped the 12-year-old girl behind a gasoline station on Jl. Sudirman early on Monday morning.

The alleged rape occurred as vegetable traders in the market were preparing to return home after working all night.

On their way home, the traders say they heard a female loudly crying from behind the gasoline station, which is located near to the market, the officer said.

They found torn clothes there, and allege that at the same time they saw Marsilan fleeing the scene.

The teenager told the traders that she had been raped by Marsilan, explaining he had helped her after she had got lost in the area on the previous night.

The girl, who claimed to hail from Pekalongan in Central Java, said she was on a trip with friends to the popular Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta.

But she became separated with her friends on their way to Ancol and found herself in Cikokol market.

After having medical treatment, the junior high school student was taken to nearby Tangerang City police subprecinct for questioning.

The traders, who suspected Marsilan, searched the surrounding bushes for him.

After they failed to locate him, they headed to Marsilan's house, which is located behind the gasoline station.

Unable to find Marsilan, the crowd then attempted to burn down the house, but they were prevented from doing so by dozens of Tangerang Police officers.

Sjamiarso said the teenager met the suspect on Sunday night in Cikokol market. The suspect then asked the teenager to accompany him during his night's work at the market.

He said in the early morning the suspect tried persuading the teenager to have sex with him, but she refused.

The angry suspect then raped the victim.

"I was afraid because he threatened to kill me if I cried," she said, as quoted by Sjamiarso.

She only dared to cry after the suspect abandoned her at the scene. (41/asa)