A Royal
Mess: King Pakubuwono XIII faces allegations of rape and child trafficking, but
a lack of ‘solid evidence’ may ultimately clear him of any wrongdoing
Jakarta Globe, Ari Susanto, Feb 23, 2015
King of Solo Pakubuwono XIII is shown here in this file photo. (Antara Photo/Akbar Nugroho Gumay) |
Solo.
Police have announced that an investigation into allegations of child
trafficking and sexual abuse against the King of Solo, Pakubuwono XIII, will be
discontinued due to lack of evidence.
Sukoharjo
Police in Central Java revealed they did not have grounds to interrogate
Pakubowono XIII, who has been accused of raping a 16-year-old girl and
fathering her child.
Police have
questioned several witnesses in the case, but none gave sufficient testimony
about the king’s involvement in the alleged rape other than the victim.
Without
additional testimony, the allegations are too weak to prove, Sukoharjo Police
chief, Adj. Sr. Cmr. Andy Rifai said.
“We need at
least one additional witness who can confirm the victim’s accusations before we
can bring the king in for questioning,” he added.
Police have
also searched for evidence in the hotel room where the rape allegedly took
place.
However,
investigators were unable to retrieve the necessary CCTV footage as the hotel’s
security device automatically overwrites previously recorded videos every two
months.
The victim
claims she was raped in March last year but did not report the incident to the
police until July.
Investigators
are still searching for a former hotel employee who may be a key witness of the
alleged assault.
The 10th
grade vocational high school student
claims a woman with the initials W.T. offered to give her a job working for the
king but instead “sold” her for Rp 2 million ($155).
W.T. is
currently being held in a Solo, Central Java, prison, but her testimony did not
correspond to that of the victim’s.
The student
also claims she lost consciousness in car after eating candy given to her by
the king. She then woke up naked in a hotel room with Pakubowono XIII, who
proceeded to give her money.
The girl
fell pregnant and gave birth to a son in Solo Central Hospital in
November. The king, through his lawyer,
has refused to provide a DNA sample to conduct a paternity test.
Sukoharjo Police
are reluctant to name a suspect due to the severe lack of evidence, Andy said.
As the girl was allegedly raped while unconscious, her testimony requires
further corroboration, he added.
The
victim’s lawyer has called on the king to undergo a DNA test, but police have
yet to follow up on the demands.
Investigators
have earlier said they would approach Pakubowono XIII with a request for a DNA
sample should he refuse to come in for questioning.
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