West Java Police Investigate Alleged Sexual Violence in YTR Case

The West Java Regional Police are continuing to investigate the possibility of sexual violence in the case of alleged severe abuse and confinement experienced by YTR (29), with the suspect identified as Taufik Hidayat. Head of Public Relations for the West Java Police, Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, stated that investigators have not yet been able to conclude whether an element of sexual violence exists because several statements still need to be verified and synchronised. “That is what we are currently digging into. We are investigating it because some of the very limited information from the victim and witnesses is not yet consistent,” Hendra said in Bandung on Thursday. According to him, the victim’s condition, who is still undergoing treatment and recovery, has prevented investigators from obtaining a complete account of the entire sequence of events she experienced during the alleged confinement by the suspect. Hendra said the West Java Police have established a joint task force involving the General Criminal Investigation Directorate, the Directorate for the Protection of Women and Children and Certain Crimes, the Cyber Directorate, and the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate to expedite the case resolution. “The leading sector is indeed the PPA PPO Directorate, but we have formed a task force to uncover this case involving all work units,” he stated. Apart from the alleged sexual violence, he said investigators are also still examining several other facts, including the locations allegedly used to confine the victim, the suspect’s motive, and the function of several pieces of evidence found at the crime scene. He stressed that the authorities do not want to rush to conclusions before all evidence and witness statements are fully collected.