Commission probes cleric for marrying 12-year-old

Adianto Simamora and Suherdjoko ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta, Semarang   |  Sun, 10/26/2008 11:00 AM  |  Headlines

The government-sanctioned Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) said on Saturday it had sent a team to Semarang to investigate reports of a marriage between a rich cleric and a 12-year old. The cleric was also quoted as saying he planned to marry several other minors apart from the girl, Lutfiana Ulfa.

Police said they would check, among other matters, whether Puji had slept with the child bride.

"We want to clarify first with Ulfa's parents whether the marriage has taken place before taking any action," the KPAI chairwoman Masnah Sari told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

She said that the KPAI would also question the girl's parents, the minister or penghulu who married the couple and witnesses of the marriage between Ulfa and the cleric Pujiono Cahyo, known as Syech Puji. Puji, who reached fame after donating billions of rupiah to the poor in the last Ramadan fasting month, had said the marriage of Aug. 8 was attended by "thousands" of people at his home.

"If the marriage has taken place, the KPAI itself will take legal action as this would violate at least six laws," she said.

Masnah said marriage with a minor violates the laws on child protection, marriage, health, labor and welfare. The criminal code also states that any sexual involvement with minors is a crime. The law on child protection defines children as those under 18 and threatens those who marry or authorize marriages with minors with a maximum of five years in jail or a fine of Rp 100 million.

The 1974 marriage law says a woman must be at least 16 to marry.

Snr. Comr. Syahroni of the Central Java police said the police would investigate the case. "We will ask whether Puji has slept (with his new wife)," he said. He added police had only heard that the case involved marriage made valid under religion (kawin siri), which is allowed in the marriage law.

The Network for Women and Children in Semarang, Agnes Widanti, was quoted Friday demanding that the police immediately take up the case, given that Puji had married a minor.

"His actions are clearly an exploitation of children although the marriage was agreed to by her guardians," Agnes said.

Although different laws set different ages for minors Masnah of the Child Protection Commission said that if the marriage has yet to occur the KPAI would ask the Religious Affairs Minister to issue a letter ordering all Muslim ministers across the country to refuse to participate in the marriage, should Puji request their services.

She said that the team's findings could also be used to verify whether Puji could be categorized as a pedophile if he had sexual relations with children.

Puji, a 43-year old businessman, has also revealed his intention to marry two more girls, aged seven and nine, in the near future.

"But this time I won't announce (the marriages) since it would create more criticism because the girls are younger," Puji said, adding that he planned to marry seven women including his first, 26-year-old wife. Islam allows a man to marry up to four wives.

On Saturday Kompas.com quoted the Central Java chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council saying that no one should marry minors.

As the prerequisites for marriage are "material and mental preparation", Ahmad Rofiq, UI's secretary general said, "How are children to understand love and devotion?" in a marriage, he said.

If the child bride already had her menstruation, "she would suddenly have to have a child," thus threatening her mental state, he said.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.