Fri, 13 Oct 1995

Teacher tried for abducting student

CIREBON, West Java: A primary school teacher is on trial for allegedly abducting a 16-year-old girl in June and "imprisoning" her in a room of the Tidar Jaya Hotel for ten days.

Prosecutor Dwiharto accused the male teacher, identified only as Har, 33, of taking the girl, TN, without her parents' knowledge, to various recreation parks by day and of having sex with her in the hotel room at nights.

If also found guilty of statutory rape, the teacher could be sentenced to a maximum penalty of nine years imprisonment.

The girl's father, who is a colleague of Har, said that during the period his daughter was missing, he had, out of suspicion, four times asked Har about the girl. The physical education teacher always denied any knowledge of the girl's whereabouts.

"My daughter is now very thin. He must have cast a spell on her to make her obey him," the father said.

The court will hear more witnesses next week. (swe)