Indonesian Police Chief Accused of Molesting Children and Recording Abuse on Australian Pornographic Site
An Indonesian police officer is accused of sexually assaulting 4 children. Fajar Widyadharma Lukman, the police chief of Ngada regency in East Nusa Tenggara province, allegedly assaulted children aged three to 14 last June.
Fajar allegedly recorded the abuse, and the video ended up on an Australian pornographic site. It is unclear who uploaded the video, and the police have not been able to confirm whether the video was sold. The abuse came to light after the videos on the Australian site drew the attention of Australian police. In January, they alerted the Indonesian authorities through the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection.
Fajar was arrested on Feb 20 by the National Police’s Internal Affairs Division (Propam) and transferred to the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta. He was officially named a suspect on Thursday (Mar 13). Fajar allegedly abused the children at a hotel in Kupang, the provincial capital, said East Nusa Tenggara Police Director of General Crime Investigation Patar Silalahi, as reported by news outlet Kompas.
Speaking on Wednesday (Mar 12), Dian Sasmita, a spokesperson from the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection, called it a “very serious case of sexual violence against children” and said there is a “strong possibility” of more victims out there. As a public official “who has authority and power”, there is a heightened risk Fajar committed more similar offences, she noted. Investigations are still ongoing.
The East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police are still investigating the case and have questioned nine witnesses, including a 15-year-old girl who brought victims to meet Fajar, according to Kompas. The 15-year-old, identified as F, received 3 million rupiah (US$183) for bringing a victim to the hotel, where Fajar then molested the latter. media outlets reported that Fajar allegedly used an instant messaging application to persuade another victim, a 14-year-old girl, to meet him at a hotel. He then took the girl to a room where she was allegedly assaulted. The girl was then pressured to invite a friend, who became Fajar’s next victim.
Besides allegations of sexual assault, Fajar also tested positive for drug use based on a urine test. Chairperson of the province’s Child Protection Agency Veronika Ata said Fajar’s alleged actions could be classified as sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Veronika said that if convicted, the appropriate punishment would be chemical castration, which is legal in Indonesia under Law No.17 of 2016 on Child Protection. The province’s police director Patar told the media that Fajar is likely to be charged under Article 6(c) and Article 14 of Law No. 12 of 2022, which deals with sexual violence crimes.
If convicted, Fajar could face 12 years in prison. The Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection told CNA it is aware of three alleged victims of Fajar, and said they are being cared for. “None of them have fled. They are in safe protection. Two of the victims are still being accompanied by their parents, so they do not need to stay at a safe house,” said Ciput Eka Purwianti, the ministry’s assistant deputy for child protection.
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