Police hunt suspect in Makassar woman abduction case

Makassar (ANTARA) - The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the Tamalate Police is hunting the suspected perpetrator of the abduction of a woman, identified only by her initials MA (21), from Nunukan, North Kalimantan, who was held captive for three days in a rented house in the Barombong sub-district, Tamalate district, Makassar, South Sulawesi.

“The suspected perpetrator is a man, identified only by his initials FR (30), and during the abduction, MA is suspected of being a victim of sexual violence,” said the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Tamalate Police, Iptu Abdul Latief, in Makassar, Friday.

He explained that officers are currently conducting an investigation and searching for FR’s whereabouts.

The incident began when the victim received a job offer as a baby nurse through Facebook.

After her application was accepted, she was asked to come to Makassar for an interview at the perpetrator’s rented house in an upscale residential area on Jalan Metro Tanjung Bunga.

Then, the victim was asked to stay overnight on the pretext that she was tired after a long journey. The victim’s suspicions were confirmed when the perpetrator began to show bad behavior and committed sexual violence.

In addition, the house door was always locked, and this lasted from Friday (May 8) to Sunday (May 10).

Fortunately, the owner of the rented house came to inform the perpetrator that the rental period had expired. When he entered the house, he was shocked to find a young woman with her hands tied and in a weak condition.

“The victim was able to leave after the homeowner came to check on the house. At that time, the door was knocked, and the victim appeared, while the perpetrator had already fled. The victim was found with her hands tied and was then taken out of the house,” he said.

The police, who arrived at the scene, then secured the victim and took her to the police station. So far, the victim has received assistance from the Women and Children Protection Unit (PPA) of the Makassar Police.

Governor’s response

Meanwhile, the Governor of North Kalimantan, Zainal Arifin Paliwang, who was in Makassar, immediately visited the victim and checked on her condition, given that the incident had caused deep trauma to the victim.

He asked the Chief of the South Sulawesi Police, Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro, to immediately take action to thoroughly investigate the case and arrest the perpetrator for committing the heinous act of abduction and sexual violence against the victim under the guise of being an employer.

“We ask the Chief of the South Sulawesi Police to really focus on following up on this case until it is resolved. I received information that this perpetrator is a repeat offender, and the motorcycle used is also suspected to be the result of a crime. We ask for the help of the people of South Sulawesi to work together with the Police and the Makassar Police to arrest the perpetrator,” said Zainal to reporters at the Makassar Police Headquarters.

He also asked for the help of a psychologist to help the victim recover from the trauma.