Suspects in Bekasi gang rape still at large
Suspects in Bekasi gang rape still at large
JAKARTA (JP): Police denied reports yesterday that they are
investigating four suspects in the brutal rape of a mother and
her two teenage daughters in a small, isolated village in Bekasi,
30 kilometers east of Jakarta.
"As of this evening, we have nabbed no one," City Police
spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Permantoro told reporters. He was
accompanied by secretary to the head of the crime investigation
directorate, Lt. Col. Edi Darnadi.
Up to eight suspects have been identified and are being hunted
by dozens of detectives for their inhumane behavior during a pre-
dawn burglary on Monday in the village of Cimatis, the police
spokesman said.
Both officers denied an evening newspaper's report that a
suspect had been shot dead in a raid on Wednesday night at a
house in Bekasi.
"I can't believe how they can make such a bogus report,"
Bambang said.
According to Bambang, police shot Ching Lie alias Budiman, 38,
a suspect in an attempted robbery of a wristwatch from someone in
West Jakarta recently.
Budiman was killed when he tried to run from police sent to
arrest him at his house in Bekasi, the spokesman said.
Edi said that the local police have questioned more than a
dozen of people, including the neighbors of the victimized
family, "just to collect as much data as they can".
Released
None of them has been detained or named as a suspect, said a
senior city detective.
"We have released all of them," he said.
The Bekasi police have received strong backup from Jakarta
city police in hunting for the suspects, who are believed to have
left the area.
"We've tried our best by sending our people to certain areas
to anticipate their appearance," Edi said.
The incident took place at 3:30 a.m. on Monday at the house of
Acan, 45, a small-scale potato farmer in the Pondok Gede, Bekasi,
near the Jagorawi toll road.
Up to eight people armed with sharp weapons broke into his
house after tying up Acan's 18-year-old son, Ali, and his four
friends who were sleeping on the veranda. The burglars later tied
Acan up in the living room.
Failing to find any valuables, the group dragged Acan's wife,
identified only as An, 43, to the kitchen and took turns raping
her.
Later, the criminals raped both Acan's daughters, identified
only as Ng, 15, and Ac, 14, after dragging the junior high school
students into two different rooms.
The group managed to steal two grams of gold jewelry and three
wristwatches from the family and left the scene in a car parked
at the toll road.
When asked about a rumor that Acan had rejected an offer from
a property developer to get away from the site, spokesman Bambang
simply said: "Give us a chance to intensify our investigation."
Police have collected fingerprints, sperm, a bloodied bedsheet
and the victims' underwear and clothes from the isolated crime
scene.
The evidence has been sent to the National Police Center's
forensic laboratory.
Public anger over the horrendous crime has manifested itself
with calls ranging from the early arrest of the suspects to the
death penalty.
Some officials, including State Minister of Women's Roles Mien
Sugandhi and Supreme Court Judge Bismar Siregar, share the
public's outrage.
National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman promised yesterday to
impose the maximum punishment as allowed by law on anyone found
guilty of the crime.
According to the criminal code, each suspect faces a maximum
of 12 years in jail if found guilty.
On Wednesday, City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo
guaranteed human rights groups that he has not instructed his
personnel to shoot any of the suspects if they are found.
"But, my personnel know what they should do in the field,"
Dibyo insisted. (bsr)