The Flight of Taufik Hidayat: A Trail of Violence, Kidnapping, and a Manhunt

A foul odour filled the emergency room at Ujung Berung Regional General Hospital when YTR, 29, removed her headscarf. The victim of violence, kidnapping, and robbery had open, festering, and pus-filled wounds on her face and head. Resa Rohendi, 40, who helped take YTR to the hospital, described her injuries: her nose and lips were severely torn, and her head was swollen and leaking foul-smelling fluid. There was also a fresh wound from a machete slash on her knee. The severity of her condition forced doctors to refer YTR to Dr Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung for better facilities. Resa took YTR in an online taxi, while the perpetrator, Taufik Hidayat, followed on a motorcycle. At the hospital, doctors immediately suspected foul play. When questioned, Resa repeated Taufik’s claim that the injuries resulted from a fall in the bathroom. Unconvinced, the medical team confronted Resa, stating the patient appeared to be a victim of violence. Resa then admitted he was merely the caretaker of the boarding house where YTR and Taufik lived and had been asked by Taufik to pose as the victim’s uncle to speed up treatment. This admission enraged Taufik, who later challenged Resa to a fight over the phone. After threatening Resa and brandishing what appeared to be a firearm, Taufik fled. He returned to the boarding house in Cinunuk, Cileunyi, searching for Resa with a machete, but Resa was not there. Following a report from the victim’s family, who had been separated from her for three years, West Java Police launched a manhunt. Taufik was tracked through financial transactions to Cimahi and Tangerang. Before his capture, he attempted to meet West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi at the official residence, but was turned away by security. He was finally arrested while en route to his former boss’s house in Ciparay. Taufik now faces multiple charges, including Article 466, paragraph (2) of the Criminal Code, and nine prosecutors have been assigned to oversee the case.