Teacher rapes 12 of his 25 student

JAKARTA (JP): A private teacher in Tangerang was arrested Sunday for raping 12 of his 25 students, aged between six and 14 years old, Tangerang police precinct chief said yesterday.

Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said the teacher, identified as AS, 21, was arrested after the parents of one of the children complained to police.

"The parents reported last Saturday that their daughter had been raped by AS. The daughter, who had hemorrhaged, told her parents she had been sexually molested by her teacher in a private lesson at his house," Iman said.

Police said AS confessed to raping 12 of his students. The suspect, a Koran reading teacher, believed the rapes would increase his magical power.

"AS persuaded his students he could give them magical knowledge. When the victims agreed, he would chant a spell and make the blindfolded victims chant after him. He then told them not to be afraid of the pain before fulfilling his desire," Iman said.

AS said a relative told him sex with children was the best way to improve magical knowledge, Iman said.

The culprit had taught Koran reading for five months to about 25 students at his home in Grendeng district, Tangerang, West Java.

Iman called on parents whose children had studied at AS's house to have their daughters checked to see if they had been molested by AS. (04)