Masked robber rapes housewife

SEMARANG: An unidentified masked man raped a housewife in Banyumanik, Semarang, Central Java, and managed to escape after robbing her, police here said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday night when the woman, whose six-year-old child was asleep, was watching TV at home.

She later noticed the side door of her house open and then saw a masked man enter and suddenly point a knife at her.

The victim said the man later guided her to the bedroom and asked her to open her wardrobe, from which the robber seized an envelope containing Rp 400,000 (US$47).

The robber later led her to a narrow passageway on the side of the house, where she claimed she was raped.

The man managed to flee with the money. Neighbors came to give her assistance and report the incident to the local police.

The police said they had not yet established the identity of the robber.

However, they speculated that the suspect knew the victim well, prompting him to wear a mask during the robbery. --JP