Six years for raping deaf girl

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta District Court sentenced three men to six years in jail each yesterday for gang raping a 16-year-old deaf and dumb girl.

Presiding judge Sumantri said the defendants -- identified as Abdurrahman alias Jangkung, 18; Abdurrahman alias Oman, 18; and Matsani, 21 -- were found guilty of raping Siti Balqis in a cassava field in Kedoya, West Jakarta, on March 16.

Sumantri rejected an earlier plea by the defendants' lawyer, Dina Wiresa, who asked that the court release Oman and Matsani as the two just watched Jangkung and Balqis have "sexual intercourse".

"It was a kind of mutual relationship between Jangkung and Balqis," Dina said.

According to a medical examination and witnesses' statements, the victim suffered scratches and bites to her lips, neck and other parts of her body, Sumantri said.

And the victim's testimony and the defendants' statements during the trial also revealed that the men had raped the girl in succession, he said.

Oman and Matsani held the victim down while Jangkung raped her and they used the same technique when the others took their turn, the judge said.

They were arrested a few hours after the victim reported the attack to her parents.

The men were charged under Article 285 of the Criminal Code which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years in jail.

The prosecutor and the men's lawyer were considering whether to appeal the verdict. (jun)