Indonesia..developments in the case of a school principal who raped 13 students and made them pregnant
An Indonesian high court has approved an appeal by prosecutors, and has sentenced a boarding school principal who raped at least 13 schoolgirls over a five-year period and caused some of them to become pregnant.
A panel of 3 judges at the Bandung District Court convicted Heri Wirawan in February and sentenced him to life imprisonment after being found guilty of rape.
Authorities in Indonesia say the principal raped girls aged 11 to 14 between 2016 and 2021 at school, hotels or rented apartments in West Java.
Reports indicate that at least 9 children were born as a result of rape.
The case sparked outrage in the Indonesian street due to the number of victims over several years, and the police said that the victims were afraid to inform anyone.
In their ruling, the judges of the Bandung High Court, on Monday, approved the appeal of the Public Prosecution Office, and issued its ruling to execute Werawan and confiscate his property.
"What he did caused shock and suffering to the victims and their families, and the accused tarnished the reputation of the boarding schools," the court's ruling on its website said on Tuesday.
The Court of First Instance ordered Indonesia's Child Protection Ministry to pay $23,200 in compensation to the victims and between $600 and $6,000 for medical and psychological treatment for each girl, instead of confiscating Wirawan's assets.
But the Supreme Court ruled that his assets, including the foundation he owned, be confiscated and auctioned for the benefit of the victims and their children.
The judges also decided to hand over 9 children born to the victims to the Agency for the Protection of Women and Children, with a periodic evaluation conducted until the victims are mentally and psychologically prepared to take care of their children, and then return the children to them.
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