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Retno discusses rape case with Dutch counterpart
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Protesters hold posters outlining the figures related to rape and domestic violence victims in a year. (JP/Ni Nyoman Wira)
F
oreign Minister Retno Marsudi has asked her Dutch counterpart to pay close attention to the case of a violent rape of an Indonesian student last weekend, a ministry official has said.
The minister was in touch with Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok on Wednesday to discuss the matter, said the ministry’s overseas citizens protection director, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal.
“In her talk [with the Dutch foreign minister], Minister Retno expressed her concern over the rape of an Indonesian citizen in the Netherlands,” Iqbal said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“Although Dutch law enforcers have already done a lot since the incident, the minister has asked [authorities] to pay special attention to ensure the perpetrator is handed the severest punishment.”
According to the Rotterdam Police, an Indonesian exchange student was attacked and raped by an unidentified assailant after returning to her residence on Herman Bavinckstraat early on Saturday.
The perpetrator allegedly choked her using a bicycle chain lock, causing injuries that required hospital treatment, according to a local report. Reports that she had to undergo surgery could not be confirmed, as the authorities were providing limited information on the case.
Family members have gone to Rotterdam to support the victim, and the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague has pledged to provide assistance, Iqbal said.
The embassy previously confirmed that an 18-year-old man had been arrested by the police on Wednesday.
In his response, Minister Blok expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the victim and her family, and will ensure the Dutch police do their utmost to solve the crime, Iqbal said.
