T

he Jakarta Police have detained Chemy '€œSamuel'€ Watulingas, the owner of an orphanage in Gading Serpong housing complex in Tangerang, Banten, and have charged him with three offenses under the Child Protection Law, including sexual assault.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Tuesday a forensic examination of a 14-year-old girl showed indications of sexual assault, confirming the victim'€™s earlier statement.

The girl told police that Samuel had sex with her four times at the orphanage, called Samuel'€™s Home, and at his apartment.

The acts were allegedly committed when she was 13.

'€œThese two pieces of evidence [forensic examination and victim'€™s statement] are enough to charge him,'€ he said.

The police have conducted forensic examinations on 17 children ranging from 1-14 years old.

He said Samuel would be charged with Article 81 of the 2002 Child Protection Law. The article stipulates that a person committing violence or threatening violence in an attempt to have sex with a child could be punished with a maximum sentence of 15 years'€™ imprisonment and a minimum of three years.

The police said Samuel would also be charged with articles 77 and 80 of the law on withholding information about child abuse.

'€œWe will hold more questioning sessions with the orphans who allegedly suffered similar abuse to the 14-year-old girl,'€ he told reporters.

Regarding the allegation of sexual assault of a minor, Samuel'€™s lawyer, Roy Rening, said the police needed to carry out a more comprehensive examination.

He said the police should consider the presence of witnesses, as the testimony of the 14-year-old girl, who was free to come and go from the orphanage, was not strong enough.

'€œThe police have to be sure that the one who had sex with her was Samuel,'€ he said.

'€œThe person could be anyone as she was free to hang out with anyone at the orphanage.'€

Roy, who said Samuel was a Pentecostal church priest, suspected the 14-year-old'€™s statement was produced with the influence of the Mawar Saron Legal Aid Foundation, made the statement to the police after being taken care of by the foundation.

'€œIt'€™s still too early to conclude that Samuel is the perpetrator because the police didn'€™t catch him red-handed,'€ Roy went on.

He added that according to the law, the statement of an underage child could not be counted because it was not made under oath, thus the court could not use it.

Samuel was questioned by the police for about 10 hours on Monday evening before being detained.

Samuel'€™s wife, Yuni Winata, also a caretaker of the orphanage, was questioned on the same day. Rikwanto said the police still considered her a witness.

Earlier, Mawar Saron lawyer, Eric Manurung said Samuel had allegedly abused more than 30 children in the orphanage since its establishment in 2002.

According to Eric, victim claims of physical abuse ranged from unwarranted beatings to not being fed properly by the caretakers.

Eric said a physical examination of a baby girl showed indications of abuse. The baby had suffered bite marks to her cheeks, nose and genitalia.

All 29 children in the orphanage, which has no permit from Tangerang Social Agency, have been removed from the location and are being taken care of in a Social Affairs Ministry child shelter in East Jakarta, a private orphanage in Central Jakarta, an Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) shelter and the houses of the orphanage'€™s regular donors. (ask)