Regency suspends suspect on charges of raping a minor

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)