The Jakarta Globe, January 29, 2013
Bangli, Bali. A 40-year-old man in the Bali district of Bangli has been reported to police over his marriage to a 13-year-old schoolgirl whom he had earlier impregnated.
The traditional wedding ceremony between I Wayan Cidra and the girl was held on Jan. 23, when the girl was already seven months pregnant with his child.
Cidra is reportedly already married to another woman and has two children from that marriage.
“Yes, they wedded the elementary school sixth grader with a married man. We are investigating the case,” Bangli Police’s First Insp. Dewa Made Oka told Indonesian news portal vivanews.com on Tuesday.
He added that Cidra’s neighbors reported him to police, who have since questioned both Cidra and his child bride.
Oka said Cidra told authorities that it was not a forced marriage, that he and the girl liked each other, and wedded after the girl was seven months pregnant so as to avoid customary and legal sanctions that accompany impregnating her outside marriage.
Police are still investigating the case, but Cidra could face charges under the Marriage Law and the Law on Child Protection.
di 29 jan 2013 - 18:23