Police Reveal Mastermind Behind Sampang Teenager's Rape Case

Police investigating the rape of a teenage girl involving 27 individuals in Sampang Regency, East Java, have revealed the depraved roles played by the 12 suspects currently in custody. Sampang Police Chief AKBP Hartono stated that a suspect with the initials AP (17) is believed to be the mastermind and trigger behind the series of assaults. AP initially became acquainted with the victim and invited her to meet. ‘When the victim was at a park, around February, she first got to know someone with the initials AP, who took her out (and then assaulted her),’ Hartono said on Sunday. AP’s depraved act did not stop there. He subsequently recounted his actions to several friends and invited them to also rape the victim. ‘After that, AP (the suspect) again invited his friends to commit this assault,’ he explained. Based on the investigation, the rape of the 15-year-old girl occurred six times between February and June 2026. AP is known to have been involved in several of these incidents. A total of 15 other perpetrators remain at large, and police have issued an ultimatum for them to surrender immediately.