Muslim Cleric Arrested for Molesting Child Bride

(Jakarta, Indonesia) Last August, a 43-year-old Muslim cleric, Pujiono Cahyo Widianto (aka Pujianto Cahyo Widiyanto and Sheik Puji), married 12-year-old junior high school student Lutfiana Ulfa as his second wife.

Although Sheik Puji's supporters claimed the marriage was legal under Islam, outraged civic groups in Indonesia protested the violation of state law which sets the minimum age for marriage at 16 for females.

Consequently, Sheik Puji was arrested yesterday for allegedly breaching the child protection law.

According to Semarang Police Detective Royhardi Siahann, Widianto faces a possible 15 years in prison for the sexual and economic exploitation of a child.

The 43-year-old cleric was declared a suspect after police collected documents officially showing the girl’s age, and after the religious court refused his attempt to register the second marriage.

Royhardi said that Pujiono, popularly known as Sheik Puji, was still being questioned at Semarang police station on Tuesday. He was questioned twice as a witness before he was declared a suspect.

Meanwhile, the head of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission, Masnah Sari, said the commission would fully support the police and hoped the action would serve as a warning to others. “I hope that other Sheik Pujis will think twice before marrying underage girls,” she said.

The commission has been working closely with local NGO Kompak since late last year on the case. It has also sent a letter to the Central Java governor to take action against the cleric.

Masnah said the cleric never returned the girl as he had claimed. According to the commission’s investigations, Pujiono built a house near his and asked the girl to stay there with her parents.

“Because of the marriage, she has no time for school or play like normal children have,” she said. “It absolutely should be stopped.”

Arranged marriages between young girls and old farts are common in Indonesia since they are religiously sanctioned. Human rights activists are seeking the passage of laws to stop the practice.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.