Police nab student for selling girls

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Senior high school student Hairani Br. Sinaga, 18, was apprehended by police on Wednesday night at her house in Simpang Marendal, Medan municipality, over accusations that she had sold the virginity of four girls.

Three of the victims are 16 years old and in the first year of senior high school, while the other is a 15-year-old, third-year junior high school student.

Medan Police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Maruli Siahaan said on Thursday that police were alerted of the crime after the mother of one of the girls filed a report.

Maruli said the victim's mother reported that her daughter had not come home for five days since she left for school on April 7, and had returned only on Tuesday. The daughter told her mother that she had been "sold" to a man.

"She said she was coerced by the suspect to take a pleasure trip, then was asked to a disco in Medan. At the disco, the suspect left the victim and entrusted her to a man named Akun. After consuming a few alcoholic drinks, she passed out and was taken to a hotel on Jl. Binjai and locked up for five days," said Maruli.

Upon her return, she had Rp 400,000 on her person, which she said she had received from seven men she did not recognize, Maruli said.

The suspect, when confronted with the accusation, did not deny her guilt in selling the four underaged girls. She said she had only sent her friends to Akun and received commission in cash and a cellular phone.

"I was given a commission of between Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 by Akun for each transaction," she said.

Maruli said police are searching for Akun. -- JP