Indonesian shaman 'kept sex slave in cave for 15 years'

Victim was 13 years old when she was abducted

The 83-year-old witch doctor identified as JG tricked the woman into having sex with him by claiming to be possessed by the spirit of a young boy, police say (Handout)

An elderly village shaman kidnapped a 13-year-old girl, brainwashed her into having sex with him and kept her captive in a cave for the next 15 years, police said.

The woman, now 28 and identified by police as “H”, was rescued in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province.

Police said they found the woman in a rocky crevice in a jungle near Bajugan village, where she had been held during the day since her disappearance in 2003.

At night, police said she stayed in a hut near the house of the 83-year-old witch doctor, identified by police as JG, but named locally as Jago.

They said he tricked her into believing that her family had moved to the country's capital Jakarta.

By claiming he was possessed by the “jin,” or spirit of a young boy, he convinced her to have sex with him.

Central Sulawesi Police Chief Muhammad Iqbal Alqudusy said the man had shown the girl a picture of a boy named Amrin “who she thought was her boyfriend”.

“She was led to believe that Amrin’s spirit had entered [the elderly man’s] body,” Mr Iqbal told news conference. "It is obvious that he was satisfying his lust.”

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country, but old beliefs about spirits and other paranormal activity are still held by some.

Police say they found the woman in a rocky crevice in the jungle where she had been held during the day since her disappearance in 2003 (Handout)

Police said they found the woman after her sister alerted neighbours she was nearby.

She was married to the son of the shaman, who is known for his traditional healing methods and abilities to channel spirits, The Jakarta Post reported.

The man explained the victim’s disappearance to her parents by saying she had gone to Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, to work.

The man has been charged with offences under Indonesia’s child protection laws, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.