24-year-old man kidnaps 16-year-old girl to force her into marriage

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The West Jakarta Police, working together with the Tambora Police, arrested a young man after he abducted a 16-year-old a child and forced her into a religious marriage.

Tambora Police Commission Wirdhanto Hadicaksono said the girl was kidnapped on Saturday, July 18, in Tambora, West Jakarta.

The girl’s mother only knew that her daughter had disappeared and eventually went to the Tambora police to report that her child was missing.

“The victim, who has the initial W and is 16-years-old, was abducted by the suspect, initial S, age 24, who worked as a gemstone polisher and forced her into an unofficial religious marriage,” Wirdhanto said today as quoted by MetroTV.

On Monday, July 27th, the victim sent a message to her family via social media. In the message, W said was in Jember, East Java, together with her kidnapper. Wirdhanto said this immediately gave police the information to find W and her kidnapper.

“The victim stated that the offender has committed abuses against her and had forced her to marry under the threats that her family would be killed [if she did not],” Wirdhanto said

The police chief said the suspect first persuaded the victim go with him on a walk through the Fatahilah Museum in Kota. From there he spirited W away to Jember to meet his father and force her into marriage.

“The perpetrator claimed to have permission from the parents of the victim. Then he forced her to go to his parent’s homes in Jember. The victims was forced to marry the offender in a religious ceremony,” he said.

The suspect is now sitting in a West Jakarta Police prison awaiting his trial. He has been charged with kidnapping, which carries with it a maximum penalty of nine years in prison.