Herry Handed Life Sentence for Rape of 13 Students

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

Two police officers escort the trial of the sexual violence case against a dozen students in Bandung, by the defendant Herry Wirawan, at the Bandung Special Class 1A District Court, West Java, Tuesday (15/2/2022).).

BANDUNG, KOMPAS — Herry Wirawan, 36, an Islamic boarding school principal, was sentenced to life in prison for raping 13 underage students in Bandung, West Java. The verdict was lighter than the prosecutors’ demand of a death sentence for the defendant.

The sentence was handed down during a court hearing led by chief justice Yohanes Purnomo Ali, which lasted more than two hours. The hearing began at 10.00 a.m. at a district court in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday (15/2/2022).

During the hearing, the panel of judges outlined the chronology of the rapes and Herry’s sentence. From 2016 to 2021, Herry was found guilty of having manipulated and deceived his underage victims. The man, for example, promised that he would send them to university if they were willing to fulfill his sexual desires.

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The victims were sexually abused when they were between 11 and 14 years old. The court heard that the defendant always told the students that they had to obey their teacher.

The defendant impregnated eight of the children. One of them gave birth to two children. The victims were still traumatized. The victims cried in fear when they heard the defendant's voice in court, even though the trial was held separately.

The defendant was found to have committed violence and obscene acts in a number of places, such in schools he owned, hotels and apartments in Bandung. The Manarul Huda Antapani Islamic Boarding School and the Madani Boarding School in Cibiru were silent witnesses to his acts.

Herry was arrested in mid-2021 and was put on trial in November 2021.

However, the court rejected the demand to dissolve the foundation that managed the schools owned by the defendant, saying the matter would be tried separately in a civil lawsuit. Responding to the decision, the head of the West Java High Prosecutor's Office, Asep N Mulyana, as the public prosecutor, said he would first study the verdict before giving a formal response.

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

The defendant of sexual violence against dozens of students in Bandung, Herry Wirawan (red vest), discusses with his team of legal advisers in the middle of a trial at the Special Class 1A District Court in Bandung, West Java, Tuesday (15/2/2022)..

State compensation

The life sentence was given based on Article 81 of the Child Protection Law. As the defendant had received a life sentence, he was not made to pay financial compensation or to undergo chemical castration as requested by the prosecutors.

The panel of judges decided that compensation of Rp 331 million should be paid for by the state through the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry.

Herry’s legal advisor, Ira Mambo, said the judge's decision was in accordance with the considerations given by the defendant's legal advisory team.

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Bimasena of the supervisory board of the National Commission for Child Protection said he respected the judge's decision. However, he said, he hoped the public prosecutor would appeal.

"No matter how severe the punishment, it will not be able to restore the condition of the victims," said Bimasena.

Meanwhile, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Mnister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati hoped the verdict given by the judge could act as a deterrent and prevent the recurrence of similar cases.

In Jakarta, Jakarta police chief Insp. Gen. Fadil Imran made internal adjustments to the handling of cases of violence against women and children. Last Tuesday, the Manual and Technical Guidance for Handling Cases of Violence Against Women and Children was launched.

"I am fully aware that there are still many police officers who do not understand how to deal with victims of violent crimes against children, from the reporting stage to the investigation stage," said Fadil. (RTG/ERK/AIN/SON)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.