Woman arrested for false rape report

Woman arrested for false rape report

JAKARTA (JP): Bekasi police yesterday arrested a 35-year-old
woman for reporting -- allegedly falsely -- to the local police
that she had been robbed and raped at her house in the early
hours of March 10.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said here that
the suspect, Siti Aminah, was arrested at her house yesterday
afternoon for failing to give proper explanations during
reconstruction and police questioning.

"We've been suspicious of her from the beginning due to her
alibi, and the late report to the police," said Bekasi Police
Chief Lt. Col. Elfrizo Tobing, who was with Iman yesterday.

Aminah lives in Kampung Sungailahang in the Pantai Harapan
Jaya village of the Muaragembong district, about 60 kilometers
north of downtown Bekasi.

The suspect's current husband, Ijo, 40, is a security guard.

"She admitted making up the story because she was distressed
about her former husband, who died of an illness," spokesman Iman
said.

Tobing said Aminah also said that she planned her story
because she was fed up with her new husband, who she said rarely
gave her money and frequently did not come home.

After getting married to Ijo six months ago, Aminah sold
property from her former marriage to Abu Bakar Bedu to buy a
small house where they now live.

Preliminary police investigations said that Aminah tied
herself up with a rope after arranging her appearance. She then
screamed for help, claiming to have just been robbed and raped.

When her neighbors came to release her, Aminah said that a
group of three people had come to the house, taking 50 grams of
gold jewelry and raping her, Iman said.

Medical test

However, the woman refused to take a medical examination when
she was brought to a nearby clinic, the spokesman said.

A number of witnesses, including the village head, found
several contradictions in her report to the results of an
examination her body and the scene of crime, officer Tobing said.

Iman quoted Sarjan, one of the suspect's neighbors, as saying
that after being released from her ropes, Aminah went to her
bathroom and apparently poured viscous tamarind juice on her
genitals to give the impression that she had been raped.

If found guilty, Aminah faces a maximum of seven years in
jail.

Aminah reported the case to the police five days after the
reported incident, which received wide coverage. The local police
also set up a team to arrest the suspects.

"A few days after Aminah's report, we arrested three men we
thought were stealing goats near her house," Tobing said. "But
there were no clues as to whether they were involved in the
robbery and rape case at Aminah's house," he added. (bsr)