Blind man nabbed for alleged sex abuse

A blind man has been arrested by the Denpasar Police for allegedly sexually abusing three underage orphans after promising that he would raise funds for their orphanage.

The man, identified by his initials as KKY, 39, was arrested on Monday in his house in Uluwatu, South Kuta, Badung, after local police became convinced they had sufficient evidence to bring him in.

Earlier on Sunday, the police had officially requested a special team at Sanglah Central Hospital to carry out a medical examination on the three under-age victims, identified as NM, 17, NA, 14, and WM, 15.

Sanglah’s special team on violent acts against women and children stated that the preliminary examination found signs of sexual abuse on the victims’ bodies.

Based on the team’s investigation, the suspect came with a woman to the foundation managing the orphanage, and said he would donate money and hold a fund raising event there on Jan. 28.

They then selected three girls, stating that they would teach the girls to sing and dance for a planned fund raising performance.

The suspect and the three girls rehearsed the performance five times at the orphanage in east Denpasar and two times at a studio rented by the suspect.

“On the last day of rehearsal, the three victims felt sick, and the suspect told them he could cure them. The suspect brought them to a hotel room and allegedly abused the victims there,” said the special team’s head, Ida Bagus Alit.

He said the team had handed over the evidence to the police. “We don’t have the authority to officially state that this is a rape case. All we can say is that there is evidence of sexual violence and that police investigators will further develop this case based on that evidence,” he stressed.

The police are continuing the investigation to find out the roles the suspect’s two associates.

 Denpasar Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Ida Bagus Made Sarjana confirmed Alit’s statement, saying the three victims joined the rehearsal at a studio in Jimbaran. On Jan. 26, the victims were brought to a hotel in Ubung where they were abused.

“The suspect claimed he could cure the pain, and asked the victims to take off their clothes,” Sarjana said.

Adj. Comr Yohana Agustina, head of the police’s special unit for women and children, said that as of Friday, the police were still questioning the victims. The head of the orphanage accompanied the victims during the police interview.

Commissioners from Bali’s commission for child protection paid a visit to the police station to monitor the victims’ condition and offered legal assistance.

“We will ensure that the suspect will be charged with the law on child protection, which carries a heavier sentence than the Criminal Code,” said Siti Safura, an advocate with the commission.

Sarjana said the suspect would be charged with Articles 81 and 82 of the 2002 Child Protection Law, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.

The suspect, a father of two sons and one daughter, did not talk much in the police station detention facility. “I regret [what I have done],”
he said.

KKY confessed that he could not control himself when the incident took place.