An Indonesian teacher found guilty of raping 13 students at an Islamic school, including at least 8 who became pregnant, was sentenced to death on Monday, a case that sparked a national outcry.
Herry Wirawan, 36, was sentenced to life in prison in February in a trial that drew public attention to sexual violence in religious schools in the Southeast Asian country. predominantly Muslim.
But the prosecution, which had requested the death penalty and chemical castration, had appealed.
“We accept the prosecution’s appeal,” the judge said in a statement published Monday on the website of the high court of Bandung, in the province of West Java. “We hereby sentence the defendant to the death penalty,” he continued.
The teacher was not present during the appeal trial, a spokesperson told AFP.
The case broke out when a student’s family went to report him to the police last year for the rape and pregnancy of their teenage daughter.
During the trial, it was established that Herry Wirawan had raped several students, mainly from poor families and provided with a scholarship, during a period of five years. He had also caused the pregnancy of at least eight of them.
The accused had called on the court to show leniency towards him, arguing that he wanted to be present to raise his children.
The case caused a national outcry and resulted in parliament under pressure to approve a long-delayed ‘Elimination of Sexual Violence’ Bill, aimed at tackling sex crimes and bringing justice to victims, including regarding marital rape cases.
This trial has also shone a spotlight on the problem of sexual violence within the education system in Indonesia; last year, 14 out of 18 cases recorded by the Child Welfare Commission took place in Islamic schools.
The country has more than 25,000 Islamic institutions, and nearly 5 million students live and study in these halls of residence.
Indonesia suspended executions for several years; the last known took place in 2016.