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Woman catches her rapist in a Jakarta traffic jam

Source
Jakarta Globe - September 15, 2011

An Indonesian woman frustrated by Jakarta police's failure to capture four men who kidnapped and pack-raped her in a public minivan, took matters into her own hands and singlehandedly found her attackers.

RS, 28, an employee of a company on Jalan Sudirman, was raped by the four men in an angkot on Sept. 1, a day after Idul Fitri celebrations, said Comr. Sungkono, the deputy director of traffic operations at South Jakarta Police.

Sungkono told Kompas.com that the victim had just alighted from a Kopaja bus at Cilandak on her way home to Bekasi when a white angkot with pink stripes stopped in front of her.

She initially declined the driver's attempts to coax her into the vehicle because it did not pass her home, but when he told her that he would drive her to the location she entered the vehicle, despite the fact three other men were inside.

Once inside the vehicle, she was attacked and tied up before the men took turns raping her, Sungkono said. When they were finished, they robbed her and dumped her at Marine headquarters in Cilandak.

The victim reported the attack to police and took time off work to recover from her ordeal but grew restless and then angry after police failed to report any progress.

On Tuesday, the victim lost patience and bravely returned to the same place where she was kidnapped, studying the faces of each passing angkot driver until she identified the rapist and began screaming at two nearby police officers for help.

"She told our officers, 'please arrest the man, Sir, she raped me,'" Sungkono said. The driver was not able to escape because he was stuck in traffic.

The driver, Yogi, who drove between Cipete and Pondok Labu, has allegedly confessed to his role in the attack and identified the other three men. Sungkono was optimistic the trio would be arrested soon.

"The suspects will be charged with Article 285 of the Criminal Code on battery and rape," he said of the charge that carries a maximum of five years in jail.

Police said that inside the angkot was offensive graffiti, including Komplotan Penjahat Kelamin (Sexual Criminal Gang).

West Jakarta Police last month arrested another angkot driver and a passenger over the murder of 21-year-old college student Livia Pavita Soelistio.

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