Indonesian girl's ordeal: Victim of 'classic conspiracy case' (Canberra Times, 2 Januari 1971)

=== [PDF page 1] === Canberra Times (ACT: 1926 - 1995), Saturday 2 January 1971, page 8 girl's ordeal Indonesian 'CLASSIC CONSPIRACY CASE' VICTIM HUGH From crowd JUBILANT outside central this the nalled Java, day one grotesque 17-year-old seller, the classic case Jogjakarta, courthouse sig month end ordeal for Later he egg victim of a of conspir Three months ago the Sum Kuning, also known Sumarijem, was kidnapper' by four youths raped and by three of them under threat of death if she resisted. All indica tions are that the youths, three of them long-haired, from important fami lies because only connec tions in high places can explain the events which followed. girl, 'Borrowed' the tured him by placing pen cils his fingers between and then pressing his fin gers together to make him "confess". court The rowed" police also "bor Sum Kuning from the hospital Jogjakarta where she was under treat result for injuries ment ing from the triple rape and kept her without medi cal treatment for 30 days. During this time they ques tioned her relentlessly, at times deprived her of food and drink and threatened her with clectric torture she did not go along with police the fj^HEY head that police faced with a which they report rape either too frightened were too well bribed to act charged Sum Kun upon, ing with lodging a false statement "causing unrest the people". among medical But there were reports that she had been cast the police raped so about for another victim noodles and settled upon and meatball seller named was charged Trimo. with rape to tell the police tor was that girl acy. The in Djakarta MABBETT, despite com lack of evidence and his repeated pleas that he Sum seen even had never plete Kuning. National Library of Australia Communist version. held her over accusation the time coup attempt 1965, when she was old, barely 12 years she been had member Gerwani, the Communist organisation, and women's could prison for years. was more Another result intense public interest. Then came held case, the court behind closed doors until the judges were ready to give their decision, whioh they did with the aid of loudspeakers so the hundreds of people around the courthouse could fol low. decision which took and a half hours to judge, read the presiding Lamiah Mrs Muljatno assisted by Mrs (who was Sumarno Abdurrachman and Sujatno) dem the police olished case, its own mainly con tradictions, and described police the methods which manner brought applause from the excited crowd. one the Fabrication of the case. blatant, bound however, was Local produce reactions. inquiries made their find published ings. One result was that a named Slamet reporter Djabarudi spent 10 days under arrest for publishing "unauthorised" account Another result of the case. Freed from ber ordeal Sum Kuning, who had had two nurses attending her during the trial, returned hospital. Newspapers in Jogjakarta and Djakarta commented happily on the implications the for a full return rule of law and praised the judges for their cour age. newspapers and Girl freed And as for the police quickly it was reported that Indo Hugeng, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110446613 === [PDF page 2] === Canberra Times (ACT: 1926 - 1995), Saturday 2 January 1971, page 8 (2) that nesia's summoned Hugeng, police chief, Indo had Jogjakarta's senior police two most officers to Djakarta "to re the case". port upon observers feel that the Sum Kuning affair was bungled the prospect has arisen that the youths the police set out to protect at the expense girl of a humble market brought to yet be may Many because trial. National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110446613