Bandung (Indonesia): An Indonesian court sentenced a teacher to life in prison for the rape of 13 minor students in a boarding school and impregnating at least 8. Bandung district court in West Java found Herry Wirawan guilty of the crime. During the trial, it was revealed he had raped the children - many from poor families - over five years.
The pattern of abuse came to light when the family of a female student reported Wirawan to the police for raping and impregnating their teenage daughter last year. The revelations have sparked national outrage, with a senior government official saying President Joko Widodo has paid special attention to the case.
Prosecutors had asked for chemical castration and the death penalty for the accused. Wirawan, 36, arrived in court in handcuffs and kept his head down as judge Yohannes Purnomo Suryo Adi sentenced him to life in prison. The court also said restitution for victims will be paid by the government.
More than 25,000 Islamic boarding schools - known as "pesantren" - are dotted across Indonesia, with nearly five million students living and studying in the dorms. The Bandung rape case has shone a spotlight on the problem of sexual abuse in some of the schools, with 14 out of the 18 cases reported to the National Child Protection Commission last year taking place in pesantren.
