Students protest rapist's sentence

PADANG, West Sumatra: Thousands of high school students went on a rampage on Thursday after the local district court here sentenced a rapist to eight years in jail.

The Islamic junior high school students pelted stones at the court windows, vandalized other buildings in the compound and damaged a car after the court announced a lighter sentence for Salmon Ongirwalu, who was found guilty of raping student Khairiyah Eniswah.

The prosecutor had demanded a maximum jail term of 12 years.

During the fray, Salmon's lawyer, Ermawinarti, sustained wounds to her head.

Police were called to disperse the angry students, but there were no arrests. (28/edt)