Ilham Octafian, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police said Thursday they have concluded the investigation into the alleged child molestation case against Mario Dandy and handed the documents to prosecutors, adding the legal troubles for the young man who is currently being tried for aggravated assault.
Mario, 20, is accused of molesting his underage girlfriend, identified by initials AG, 15, and could face 15 years in prison under the tough child protection law.
The legal process at the prosecutors' office is still in the early stage and normally prosecutors will return documents after making corrections. These procedures may repeat several times until the case is declared ready for trial.
"It's still at the first phase, we are awaiting instructions from prosecutors," said Comr. Yuliansyah, the head of the Jakarta Police's unit for crimes against teenagers, children, and women.
The girlfriend is currently serving time at the juvenile prison after a Jakarta court found her guilty of becoming complicit in the assault against teenager David Ozora for which Mario is being tried as the main defendant.
David was brutally assaulted on a Jakarta street following an argument over a girlfriend on Feb. 20. He was in a coma for several weeks after the attack and remains under physical therapy to date.
In an unexpected turn of events, Mario's father Rafael Alun Trisambodo was named a corruption suspect and detained in April after law enforcement agencies found $2.2 million worth of banknotes kept in his safe deposit boxes. Rafael also lost his job as a high-ranking tax official at the Finance Ministry due to the ongoing graft investigation and a finding about his undeclared wealth.
The investigation followed a public inquiry into the family's lavish lifestyle with Mario often posting content depicting luxury vehicles on his social media accounts.
Last week, the father said he won't pay Mario's victim Rp 120 billion ($8 million) in compensation as requested by the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), asserting that his son is an adult man and should take responsibility for his own actions.
"We reluctantly express our refusal to pay the restitution on the grounds that an adult person bears the obligation to compensate for loss caused by his own actions," Rafael wrote in a letter addressed to the judge panel at the South Jakarta District Court.
He also complained that the family is facing financial difficulties after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) froze their assets during the ongoing graft investigation against Rafael.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/police-hand-child-molestation-case-against-mario-dandy-to-prosecutor