Seven arrested for gang rape

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Seven men were arrested by police on Friday morning at around 2 a.m. on charges of brutally raping a 16-year-old girl at the men's rented house on Gang Lebak in East Pejaten, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

A key suspect, identified as Ari, remains at large however.

"We were able to easily arrest the seven suspects -- Rubi, Masri, Adnan, Ramli, Edi, Wendra and Ridwan -- as they live in the same house," said a police officer from Pasar Minggu subprecinct, who requested anonymity.

The tragedy began when the girl, whose identity must be kept confidential, met Ari, a tattoo artist from Pasar Minggu, at the Kranji night market in Bekasi on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at around 7 p.m.

The girl, who had just arrived from her village in Banjarnegara, Central Java, was promised a job by Ari on condition that she went with him to his rented house in Pasar Minggu.

When the two arrived at Ari's rented house, the other seven suspects were waiting. They then gang raped the girl. She was forced to stay in the house with the eight suspects taking turns to guard her.

Two days later, Ari took the girl to a pub in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, where she was promised a job as a waitress. At the pub, the girl met another waitress, Susi, who took pity on her. Susi then let the girl stay in her house for a week before bringing her home to Kranji.

Upon her arrival in Kranji on Thursday morning, the girl told her uncle what had happened to her. They then both reported the case to the Pasar Minggu Police on Thursday evening.

The police, based on the information supplied by the girl, then apprehended seven of the suspects at the rented house, but Ari managed to escape.

The suspects could face a maximum of 12 years in jail if convicted based on article 285 of the Criminal Code.