Woman sues rapist for breaking vow

JAKARTA (JP): An 18-year-old woman is suing a man who raped her and then renaged on his promise to marry her.

Yati (not her real name), who lives in Pondok Kopi, Bekasi, reported the case to the police in March after she received a wedding invitation from the rapist, her former English teacher.

The man, Hus, had broken his promise to marry her, she told her lawyer from the Jakarta Social Institute, Anton Prajasto.

Anton said yesterday that the woman decided to seek help from the Institute, a non-governmental organization in East Jakarta which provides legal aid, as she felt the police's progress was slow.

"Police say the case is weak as it happened three years ago," he said, but added he is going to take the case -- and meet Yati today -- as it involves alleged rape against a minor.

When summoned by the police shortly after Yati made her report, Hus, an employee at a private company in Central Jakarta, admitted the deed and offered compensation of Rp 3.5 million (US$1,500), Anton said.

However the family turned down the offer. They were offended as Hus' parents had also agreed that Hus would marry Yati.

Anton said the two got acquainted when Hus rented a room in her family's home in the Bentara subdistrict. He became her private English teacher because she had difficulties at school with the subject, he said.

In a letter to her lawyer, Yati wrote that one day in 1993 the man locked her in a room, raped her and threatened her if she reported the incident to anyone.

However he promised he would marry her. Hus' parents also made a commitment to Yati's parents that their son would marry Yati.

When Yati's parents confronted Hus' parents after his wedding the parents said one of their relatives had also been raped, "but the solution does not have to be marriage."

Anton said Yati has the support of her aunt in pursuing her legal action. However he said another family member might ask for higher compensation than was offered by Hus to drop the case.

In the letter Yati said she wanted to take legal action "because Hus may hurt other women." (anr)