Rapists' punished

Rapists' punished

From Media Indonesia

It is really heart-rending for me to read and watch newspaper and TV reports about the rape and torture of a teenage girl, Lestari (16), by four youths in Klaten, Central Java. Their treatment of the victim was so barbaric and inhuman. They cruelly inflicted pain on her, stole her bicycle and one of them sadistically raped her. Then the helpless maid was left in a deserted sugarcane plantation.

I wonder what spirits possessed the youngsters to make them injure the girl's vagina with a cassava stem, causing profuse bleeding that eventually claimed her life. In fact, one of the boys had been her friend.

It is estimated that the four will only get maximum prison terms of nine up to 12 years, in view of their age. After that they will be free and might possibly repeat their depraved acts, because upon leaving jail they will only be about 25 years old.

Therefore, a more severe punishment must be imposed on them, at least 60 years in prison and the death sentence for the rapist. With such a harsh penalty, people will be deterred from committing rape.

At present, reports about rape and inhumane crimes appear almost every day. The authorities, in this case the courts and the police, will hopefully pay greater attention to such cases.

NENDEN

Depok, West Java