The Story of Bripka Rikha Handling PPA Cases, from Ordered Brides to Molestation

For over a decade, Bripka Rikha Tri Sartika has played a key role in uncovering various criminal cases involving women and children (PPA) in West Kalimantan. She has handled several matters, including rape cases and instances of ordered brides.

Bripka Rikha, who currently serves as a Non-Commissioned Officer in Unit 1 of Subdirectorate IV Renakta at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the West Kalimantan Police Headquarters, has been nominated for the 2026 Hoegeng Awards programme. She is regarded as a professional police officer in handling cases involving women, children, and vulnerable groups.

One story highlighting Bripka Rikha’s character comes from a mother with the initials T, who reported a rape case affecting her child in Pontianak.

“So when my child’s case was taken over by Mrs Rikha at the Police Headquarters. Mrs Rikha is a pleasant person in responding to our complaints,” said T when contacted some time ago.

T explained that Bripka Rikha communicated well with her. Additionally, Rikha acted quickly in following up on the report.

“For example, I couldn’t go to the Police Headquarters, but she came to the house or whatever. She’s a good person, Sir, she communicates well and handles the case quickly,” she added.

The rape case was reported last year. After receiving the report from T, Bripka Rikha reportedly immediately went to the scene and gathered statements from several witnesses.

“In short, it’s like she’s accompanying us,” she said.

The case has now entered the trial stage. T appreciated Bripka Rikha’s professional attitude in handling the rape case.

“Very professional, very pleasant person. Basically, when we report, it’s immediately addressed, like she’s family,” she said.

Role of Bripka Rikha

Bripka Rikha was previously a candidate for the 2025 Hoegeng Corner. She has been handling cases of violence against women and children since 2008.

Bripka Rikha stated that she has managed more than a hundred cases of assault, molestation, and rape against women and children. Among those hundreds of cases, she was particularly impressed by the handling of two matters: a human trafficking crime (TPPO) involving the modus operandi of ordered brides and a case of a predatory shaman.

First, the TPPO case with the ordered bride modus operandi that occurred in West Kalimantan in 2023. According to Rikha, this case targeted women in West Kalimantan who became victims, with many underage. The victims were taken to China under the pretext of marrying Chinese citizens, but ended up being sold there.

“Those are Chinese nationals. They think like this: if marrying a fellow Chinese, the dowry is expensive, but if it’s an Indonesian, it’s cheap, according to them,” said Bripka Rikha to detikcom on Thursday (31/10/2025).

With this trend in Chinese thinking, parties in China took advantage by acting as matchmakers or intermediaries. The Chinese matchmakers then formed networks in West Kalimantan to find local women willing to marry Chinese men.

Bripka Rikha mentioned that the matchmakers in West Kalimantan had mapped out local women who could become victims. According to her, the typical victims were young women from economically disadvantaged families and from rural areas.

“Most of the victims are from rural areas who might lack knowledge, so they’re offered a dowry of Rp 30 million. For example, if she’s interested in A, A’s parents give Rp 30 million as dowry. The Indonesian matchmaker gets more than Rp 30 million, around Rp 50 million to Rp 70 million,” she said.

After the victim’s parents agree to the Rp 30 million, the matchmakers from West Kalimantan and China handle the marriage documents from each country. Then the female victim is taken to China, where the ultimate goal is to turn her into a prostitute.

“Most of it is just a ruse, not for marriage. Maybe only one month, after that she’s sold to others in China. The marriage is just a pretext, but in the end, she’s sold; at most 30 percent are actually married, but 70 percent are sold and turned into prostitutes in China,” said Rikha.

Upon receiving the report, Bripka Rikha took action to investigate. After thorough probing, it turned out the perpetrators were a TPPO syndicate operating under the ordered bride modus. The perpetrators each played different roles.

“In cases like this, it’s a syndicate, each with different roles: some handle documents, some prepare places, some recruit by going to remote areas. For the children, they’ve mapped out those from families that are less able or parents with many children they can’t afford. That’s what the perpetrators target,” she explained.

In total, the police arrested five Indonesian perpetrators involved in the TPPO crime of ordered brides in West Kalimantan. Meanwhile, there were six victims. Currently, the main perpetrator, the matchmaker, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“The incident was in 2023, (now) already sentenced; the matchmaker got 10 years,” she said.

The Predatory Shaman ‘Money Multiplier’ Case

Second, the case of a predatory shaman who claimed to be able to multiply money on the condition of a ritual with a young girl. But it wasn’t the money that was multiplied; instead, the perpetrator molested and raped the girls.

Bripka Rikha said the uncovering of the predatory shaman money multiplier case occurred in 2021. According to her, the perpetrator lured parents who were desperate for money and had daughters.

“His lure was multiplying Rp 1 million into Rp 10 million. But with the condition, ‘I need an intermediary for the ritual, but it has to be a young girl.’ With parents who might lack knowledge, mothers and fathers without thinking twice sacrifice their child,” said Rikha.

The case came to light initially because one victim bravely spoke out. Not to her parents or relatives, the victim directly reported via Facebook to the West Kalimantan Child Protection and Supervision Commission (KPPAD).

“This victim was made his adopted child and taken along