Police Reveal Cases Of Child Prostitution Sold To Masher In Padang

PIXABAY ILUSTRATION

PADANG - The Padang City Police (Polresta), West Sumatra revealed a case of alleged prostitution that sexually exploited a 16-year-old girl to a masher.

The case was revealed after the Padang Police Klewang Team together with members of the Women's and Children's Service Unit (PPA) raided Hotel "A" room located on Bundo Kanduang Street, Tuesday (20/9) night.

"From the disclosure of this case, we arrested a woman suspected of being a pimp, WO (32), currently the person in question has the status of a suspect and is being held," said the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Padang Police Commissioner Dedy Adriansyah Putra, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, September 23.

He said that WO's act of offering minors to be sexually exploited was charged with violating Article 76 letter I, in conjunction with Article 88 of the Child Protection Act.

The article reads that everyone is prohibited from placing, allowing, doing, ordering to do, or even participating in economic and or sexual exploitation of children.

Dedy said that the suspect WO who is known to work as a housewife is threatened with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to IDR 200 million.

"Currently, the suspect is still undergoing intensive examination, we are also asking for information from the victim and other parties related to the case, including the hotel," he said.

From the police examination, it was revealed that the suspect WO had been a pimp for the last two years. She played a role in offering underage women to mashers.

The suspect also plays a role in finding hotel rooms when they have obtained potential customers. In each transaction, she earns hundreds of thousands of rupiah.

Dedy explained that the disclosure of the case began when the Padang Police received a report of prostitution activity at a local city hotel or inn, thus making the community restless.

This information is then followed up through an investigation as a form of police commitment to eradicating community diseases and enforcing child protection laws.

"With this investigation, the suspect was arrested. During the raid, we also secured a 16-year-old girl who was about to be exploited by the suspect to a man," he said.

The police reminded hoteliers or the like, not to give room for activities that smell like acts of prostitution because they violate the law and conflict with Minangkabau traditional values ​​which have the Basandi Syarak Indigenous philosophy, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah (ABS-SBK).

"We will take firm action against those involved in this prostitution activity, in accordance with the leadership's instructions," said Dedy.