Three men apprehended for gang rape

JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police detectives arrested on Thursday three suspects over the Tuesday gang rape of 20-year-old Ti, a mute and almost deaf girl, about two hours after she filed a report at the police precinct.

Chief Warrant Officer Purwani identified the main suspect as Joko, 30, a freelance driver for both public minivan M-619, which serves the Cinere-Blok M route, and Koantas Bima 509 public minibus, serving the Kampung Rambutan-Lebak Bulus route.

"The other two suspects are Jeffrey and Harahap. Two other men on the run are identified as Yanto and Tompel," Purwani said.

"The girl's testimony is very, very hard to understand."

Purwani, who led the team of three officers, made her first arrest on a name written by Ti on a piece of paper, which was Joko. Ti's family members here had a clear idea of where he lived.

Ti's uncle, Maman, searched for the suspect's address, found it and gave it to the police. The suspect lived at Jl. Saraswati, K9, in the Jl. Pangeran Antasari area of Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

When police arrived at the house, they apprehended two men. One of them, Roni, not his real name, was of medium height, had a slight goatie, a pimpled face and was very dark. The other, John, also not his real name, was short but strongly built.

Ti took one look at Roni and started shaking violently. She was sure that the man, who was lying across a motorcycle parked in the huge house, which also had a swimming pool, was one of the rapists.

Both Roni and John were put in the police van by officers. Officers asked Ti to go to the street and show them how Joko had first led her there. Officers and her uncle followed her.

They got back into the van, and about 20 meters away they came upon the Pangeran Antasari gas station.

Across the road was the Iamo car repair shop, where Roni and John sighted Joko making a call at a telephone booth. Joko was arrested.

While officers went on to develop the case with the three suspects, Ti and her uncle went back to the police station.

Purwani arrived at the station at about 4:45 p.m., and brought in Joko along with two different suspects, namely Harahap and Jeffrey, who were picked up at the Cilandak Trakindo intersection. Purwani said that Roni and John were released on the way, since there was "not enough supporting evidence".

In one office, several officers reportedly beat Joko, Harahap and Jeffrey, in the search for truth. In another, Purwani was trying to make the best out of what Ti was trying to tell her, to determine the crime scene, at least.

Purwani later learned that the gang rapes allegedly happened on both Jl. Saraswati K9 and in a shanty hut belonging to the owner of a flower shop in Cilandak. (ylt)