Sampang Child Rape Case: 17 Named as Suspects, 10 Still at Large

Police in Sampang, East Java, have arrested four more suspects in the alleged sexual assault and rape of a minor, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to 17 out of 27 identified perpetrators. Sampang Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Hartono stated on Monday that two of the newly arrested suspects are minors, aged 14 and 15, while the other two are adults aged 24 and 20. The four suspects were apprehended on 17 July 2026 at four different locations. All suspects are charged under Article 473 paragraph (2) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026, Law Number 11 of 2012, and Article 82 paragraphs (1) and (2) of Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. The victim is a 15-year-old child. The adult suspects are being detained at the Sampang Police headquarters, while the handling of the minor suspects has been transferred to the Directorate of Women and Child Protection of the East Java Regional Police. The police chief noted that one of the 17 arrested suspects is officially recorded as being involved in two separate cases. The sexual assault occurred in February 2026 when the victim was alone in the Suhadak Road area of Sampang City. She was approached by the perpetrators, persuaded, threatened, and forced to comply with their demands. Police also suspect the victim was plied with alcohol before the assault took place.