JAKARTA — In another case of sexual abuse involving a minor, a 16-year-old girl in Enrekang, South Sulawesi, was reportedly held captive for 14 days and raped by nine men.
Enrekang Police chief Ibrahim Aji said on Friday that the girl had been reported missing on Aug. 22 after going out with her 27-year-old boyfriend, identified as RB, who had since been named a suspect in the case.
The police conducted a search and found the girl, who claimed she had been raped by RB and his friends.
“The victim stated that she had gone out with RB, who had asked her to hang out, but she was taken to a forest and held captive for four days in a shed, where she said RB and three of his friends raped her,” Ibrahim said.
She was then taken to a farm where she was reportedly raped again by multiple men.
The girl was found by police in the company of RR and his friend, who were apprehended and questioned. The two men identified the other alleged rapists during questioning.
As of Friday, police are still looking for four other suspects while five of them, including RB, have been detained.
The suspects are facing a minimum sentence of five years in prison for raping a minor.
South Sulawesi Child Protection Agency Fadiah Mahmud said she decried the crime and had asked law enforcers to hand down the heaviest punishment on the suspects.
“This isn’t just a sexual offense, but a crime against humanity,” she said. “The victim has been hurt physically and mentally by these men. They also robbed her of a future, so they should receive the most severe punishment.”
She said the child protection agency was coordinating with Makassar State University ‘s psychology team to help the victim recover from her trauma, while the agency was also providing aid.