Politician Father Wants Rapist Son To Marry Minor Victim, Girl's Family Slams Offer

A teen rape victim’s father has denied the marriage offer set forward as a settlement by the perpetrator’s family. The Indonesian politician made the marriage offer to save his son, who was on the run after raping and offering the minor girl to prostitution.

The 21-year-old perpetrator, identified as AT, surrendered to local police on 21 May 2021, after being on the run for almost a month. The accused was hiding at his friend’s house in the neighboring city of Bandung.

AT is the son of a lawmaker in Bekasi, Indonesia. He is accused of raping and offering an underage girl, who was then his girlfriend, to prostitution.

According to a report by the Indonesian news portal Liputan6, the 15-year-old victim had been in a relationship with the accused. Throughout their 9-month long relationship, the perpetrator had been extremely abusive to the minor girl, the report said.

The victim’s mother alleged that the accused physically abused her daughter repeatedly and raped her when she refused to have sex with him.

The minor girl was also offered up for prostitution. The accused gained clients through the messaging app MiChat and reportedly facilitated the illicit service from a rented room at a boarding house.

She was forced to remain inside the room all day to serve clients that could even reach up to five people a day, the victim said.

In April, the girl’s family filed a complaint against the politician’s son after learning that their daughter has contracted a sexually transmitted disease following the sexual assault and abuse.

The infection is reported to be so severe that the girl has to undergo immediate surgery to remove a lump in her genital area.

After the report was filed, the accused sent multiple WhatsApp messages, forcing the victim’s family to withdraw the complaint while his family offered to pay for the girl’s hospital bills.

The perpetrator’s father, Ibnu Hajar Tanjung, who is a member of the Bekasi City Council (DPRD) came forward with a marriage offer which he believed would eventually "absolve the sins" of his son.

"They actually love each other. So (this marriage) would be based on their love… We will try; this is part of (the perpetrator’s) good intentions. There is nothing wrong with good intentions," Bambang Sunartyo, the perpetrator’s lawyer who suggested this reparation said.

However, this isn’t possible at the moment as according to Indonesian law, a woman should reach a minimum age of 19 to get married.

The victim’s family has rejected the marriage proposal and is demanding justice for their daughter, as reported by the Indonesian news portal Suarabekaci.

"My daughter has been abused and corrupted so brutally, what about her dignity? There won’t be an ounce of happiness if they both get married," the victim’s father said.

Even if the perpetrator married the victim he will not be spared of his charges. He may still face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.