Indonesian child-abuse police to investigate wealthy Muslim cleric

Argentina News.net - October 28, 2008

The Indonesian Child Protection Commission is planning to report to the police a rich Muslim cleric in Semarang, Central Java, who married a 12-year-old girl.

He is being accused of having illegal sex with a minor.

The commission's fact-finding team sent a team to Semarang at the weekend and found that cleric Pujiono Cahyo Widianto, 43, owner and head of an Islamic boarding school, had married and possibly slept with the 12-year-old girl.

According to the girl's parents and some witnesses, the marriage between Pujiono and the girl is valid according to religion, but it is not registered with the state.

The girl was apparently selected through a contest involving Puji's first wife and followers as a panel of judges.

Puji married the girl after she beat her competitors.

The girl’s parents admitted they had married her to Pujiono because of their financial difficulties.

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story/423506