Rape victims struggle to overcome painful memories

The brutal rapes took place in Bali almost a year ago, but for two little victims, the pain and trauma have become constant companions.

Sometimes the memories of the tragic incidents remain silently in the background, giving the girls a chance to play and laugh with their friends. Often, the memories hit them full force, taking away their breath and leaving them in fear and despair.

Wati, 8, not her real name, was on her way home from a Koran recital class when a man abducted her. She was only 1 kilometer from her family home in Monang Maning, West Denpasar. The man took her to a secluded place and raped her.

Yani, 10, not her real name, and three other girls in Monang Maning, have experienced the same type of attack and the ensuing horror and trauma.

The police eventually arrested the man responsible for their ordeals. He was identified as Muhammad Davis Suharto aka Codet (Scarface). The ensuing trial revealed that he was a serial sex offender who specifically targeted children. Apparently the sexual predator had attacked several girls in Batam prior to his relocation to Bali.

The court sentenced him to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting at least 12 little girls in Bali and Batam. Legal justice may have been served, but the conviction does nothing to ease Wati’s, Yani’s and the other girls’ pain and trauma.

Wati’s mother recalled how after the incident, her daughter repeatedly asked a disturbing question that drew a comparison between herself and the sex workers in Denpasar’s unofficial red-light district, Sanur.

“Mom, I’m not like the girls in Sanur, am I?” she would ask.

The mother suspected that Wati’s friends may have said something inappropriate about the abduction and rape.

The disturbing question, which reveals Wati’s shaky self-esteem and fragility, reminds her mother and the mothers of the other victims that the brutal incident may haunt them forever.

“Our daughters will grow up. They are aware that rape is a crime and they will never forget it. I really need a friend to share this with to get over it,” Wati’s mother said, adding that she and Yani’s mother had became close in the aftermath of the attacks.

While some of the rape victims have started anew by moving to other places, the parents of the two girls decided to stay.

Sri Wahyuni, a leading psychiatrist and chairwoman of Bali’s Commission for the Protection of Children (KPAID), understands the need of the victims to get regular medical and psychological support. She voluntarily offers her services free of charge to Wati’s and Yani’s families.

”Yani is still suffering from a vaginal infection and mild post-traumatic stress disorder. Usually, she is a very quiet and reserved girl, but she could suddenly turn into a furious person,” Sri Wahyuni said.

Presently, all the 12 victims of the attacks perpetrated by Suharto receive free trauma rehabilitation sessions organized by Sri Wahyuni’s team.

“We established the team because the incidence of violence targeting women and children keeps increasing,” team leader Ida Bagus Putu Alit said.

In 2010, the number of children falling victim to sexual abuse reached 51 and to physical violence 49. The victims were aged 11 to 15 years old.