Herry Wirawan: Indonesian teacher sentenced to death for raping 13 students and impregnating eight of them

Herry Wirawan sexually assaulted 13 girls between 12 and 16 years of age

An Indonesian principal has been sentenced to death by a court for raping 13 girls at an Islamic school, impregnating at least eight of them, in the space of six years.

Indonesia’s Bandung High Court confirmed the death penalty for 36-year-old Herry Wirawan in a ruling posted on the court’s website on Monday.

“[We] hereby punish the defendant with the death penalty,” it said.

The teacher had initially received a life sentence by a city court, but prosecutors approached the high court and filed an appeal seeking the death penalty.

Wirawan was also asked to pay compensation of 300 million Indonesian rupiahs (£15,922) by the court.

The teacher had sexually assaulted girls between 12 and 16 years of age from 2016 till 2021.

Herry Wirawan sits during his trial at a court in Bandung, West Java (AFP/Getty)

At least nine babies were born from the rapes, reported Vice news. Some of the teenage girls also suffered injuries from his assault.

The crimes came to light last year after one of the survivor’s families complained to the police.

According to the court, Wirawan used 10 locations to sexually assault the girls, including the school foundation’s office, a boarding school room, a hotel and an apartment.

He assaulted the students on the pretext of giving them massages.

Herry later promised marriage and financing the survivors’ college fees and promised to care for the children conceived by the students.

He had intimidated his victims by saying they “must obey the teacher”, the report pointed out.

His wife was aware of the sexual assault on the school students and had even caught Wirawan once, but did not act because she had been “brainwashed”, it said.

The case sparked an uproar in Indonesia as many officials, including the country’s child protection minister, sought the death penalty.

This was contested by Indonesia’s human rights commission which said execution was not an appropriate punishment.

The local prosecutor’s office stated it would issue comment once it receives the high court ruling.