Regency suspends suspect on charges of raping a minor

TANGERANG (JP): The regency office has temporarily suspended the head of a district health agency who was accused of raping his 14-year-old adopted daughter and sexually molesting the girl's sister.

Regency office spokesperson Ena Karlina said yesterday that the decision to suspend Junus Sarun, 53, (not 40 as reported earlier) was signed by regent Saifullah AR.

"The letter, which was just signed today, is meant to help police work in investigating the case and normalize all activities at the health agency," Ena told The Jakarta Post.

Ena said Junus will be temporarily replaced by the head of the agency's administration.

"If Junus is found guilty, he could be fired," she said.

Besides the crime he allegedly committed, Junus also violated a government employees regulation which forbids civil servants to marry more than one woman, Ena said.

Junus was apprehended while at a government-sponsored course on health issues in Bandung, West Java on Wednesday evening.

He was charged with having raped Ria (not her real name) at least three times, on July 22, 25 and 26 respectively.

"He's also charged with allegedly sexually molesting the victim's 12-year-old sister," head of the Tangerang police detectives, Capt. Ade Sutiana, told the Post yesterday.

Officer Ade said that Junus' second wife, Ti or Ham, 35, allegedly helped her husband in raping Ria on July 22.

If found guilty, the two might each face a maximum prison term of seven years, said the officer.

A preliminary police investigation revealed that Ria was raped at the couple's house in the Keroncong Permai housing complex in Jatiuwung subdistrict.

The sexual assault on Ria's sister took place at the house of Junus' first wife in the nearby village.

"I just molested and kissed her sister. There was no sex," Junus was quoted as saying by Ade.

During police questioning, Ria said she was often forced by Ham to have sex with her husband.

"Ibu (Mother) blustered at me that if I didn't want to have sex with her husband, he would die due to his heart disease," the victim said.

"If my husband died, nobody would take care of you and pay for your school fees," Ham was quoted as saying by Ria.

During police questioning, Junus said that he has had a sexual disorder since 1966 when he failed to marry his girlfriend and was forced to marry another, who he was not attracted to.

The marriage, he said, was full of tense arguments because his first wife could not meet his demands for sex. The unhappy couple, however, have four children.

Without the knowledge of his office, Junus, in 1979, then married Ham, an ex prostitute at the National Monument square in Central Jakarta.

The couple happily welcomed Ria when the latter came to their house in June asking them to be adopted in order to be able to continue attending school.

Junus said he was physically attracted to Ria, whose figure resembled that of an adult.

He told the investigators that he had a strong sexual urge and could only work properly after having sex with the teenage girl.

Both Junus and Ham are still under intensive interrogation at the Tangerang police precinct. (28/bsr)