KPAI Urges Police To Investigate Death Of Alleged Rape Victim

Jakarta, Jan 7 (ANTARA) - Seto Mulyadi, chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission`s (KPAI) Advisory Board has urged the police to look into the death of RI, an 11-year old girl, who had been allegedly sexually assaulted. "We urge the police to arrest the perpetrator," said Seto on Monday. Children are victims of such crimes because perpetrators are not given severe punishments, he said, adding that the police and judges should give severe punishments to criminals who assault children. Seto said he will not rest until the cause of RI`s death is known. RI, a fifth grader at the SDN 22 elementary school in Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta, died in Persahabatan Hospital in Rawamangun on Sunday. Earlier, KPAI�s deputy chairperson, Apong Herlina, had urged the police to arrest the perpetrator immediately. "The police should arrest him immediately," she said on Sunday. She said according to the country�s child protection law, the perpetrator could be sentenced up to 15 years in jail. According to KPAI, the number of cases related to violence on children has increased in the past few years in Indonesia. "In some regions, there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of such cases," Apong said. Apong said she is concerned about the pain that RI had to endure although the police said she had an infection. She said KPAI is working closely with the East Jakarta police with regard to this case. She said according to RI�s family, RI had sought treatment in a hospital in Bekasi, which claims that RI had typhus and lymphatic problems. "The hospital�s inefficient method of treating RI�s illness is also a violation of the child protection law," she said.