Kostrad Officer Suspected Of Sexual Violence Against 7 Male Soldiers, Has Been Detained In Denpom

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - A first officer from the Air Defense Artillery Battalion/Kostrad TNI AD is suspected of sexually assaulting seven male soldiers, all of whom have the rank of two soldiers (prada).

Head of Information (Kapen) of the Strategic Reserve Command of the Indonesian Army (Kostrad) Colonel Inf. Hendhi Yustian said the perpetrator, with the initials Lieutenant One (Lettu) AAP, a battery commander (danrai), had been detained by the Jaya/1 Military Police Detachment (Denpom) Tangerang after fleeing the unit (desertion).

"The person concerned had fled, but last night (20/9), the perpetrator turned himself in to the unit and was immediately handed over to Denpom 1 Tangerang," said Hendhi Yustian as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, September 21.

He said that before the perpetrator turned himself in, investigators from Denpom Jaya/1 Tangerang had examined a number of witnesses, namely the victims.

He said the legal process against the perpetrators is currently still being handled by Denpom Jaya.

Colonel Hendhi ensured that the perpetrators would be severely punished if he was found guilty.

"If it is proven that the person concerned is punished with additional punishment for dismissal from the military service in addition to punishment for immoral acts," he said.

The case of sexual violence against seven soldiers of Yonarhanud 1/PBC/Kostrad was revealed after an internal investigation was carried out in the unit. The incident was examined by the unit after an anonymous report from the WhatsApp number regarding allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by the perpetrators to their subordinates.

From the internal examination, it is suspected that the sexual violence occurred in November 2021, February 2023, March 2023, April 2023, May 2023, June 2023, July 2023.

Then, the unit ordered its staff in the intelligence department to look for the perpetrators. First Lieutenant AAP was also arrested in front of the Yonarhanud 1/PBC/1 Kostrad Cooperative on September 16, 2023 at 21:15 WIB.

The alleged perpetrator was taken to the Staff Office 1 / Intelligence with his hand handcuffed backwards, and he was interrogated by the ranks of the unit intelligence.

During the interrogation process, the handcuffs were removed until finally at 23.40 WIB, First Lieutenant AAP fled through the window.

The unit intelligence officers along with the provost and soldiers who were at the location were also looking for First Lieutenant AAP starting at 23.41 WIB.