Park rapes at Citra Raya worrying

Park rapes at Citra Raya worrying

TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang Council will soon summon the
management of the Citra Raya housing complex in Cikupa district
to demand firm action against people loitering in the large park
located within the complex, an official said on Monday.

Head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction Habib Ali
Alwi said the summons was in connection with the arrest of six
men last Wednesday, who confessed to having viciously raped
several women at the park.

"They had seen several couples loitering around the park and
were influenced by this," he said.

"The housing complex management must have some moral
responsibility over the matter. They allowed prostitution to be
conducted at the park, and there is no way that they did not know
about this."

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto earlier
identified the six suspects, aging between 24 and 30, as Maulana,
Syaiful Anwar, Abdul Aziz, Syaruddin, Tohiruddin and Rochmat.

Pudji said the six men spied on couples frequenting Citra Raya
park late at night.

"They then pretended to be security guards, detained the
couples and threatened to expose and drag them naked out in
public.

"Because the victims were terrified, they offered no
resistance and the group would sexually assault the women," Pudji
said.

Most of the rape victims were young female factory employees,
but were too embarrassed to come forward and report the incidents
to nearby police stations, the officer said.

The arrest of the six alleged rapists was made following a
complaint from local resident Sutaryanto, 25, who said his
girlfriend was abducted by a group of men at Citra Raya park on
June 16.

"Sutaryanto said his girlfriend, SM, 18, was abducted by a
group of men when the two were together at the park," Cikupa
Police detective Second Lt. Deddy Irawan said.

The six men reportedly have confessed to the crime. One of the
suspects, Syaiful Anwar, admitted he often watched couples in the
park.

"Five of my friends and I decided to harass them (Sutaryanto
and SM) as they were passionately making out ... which got us
excited," Syaiful said.

The other suspects also confessed to raping several girls, but
refused to provide the names of their victims, police said.
(41/ylt)