Bandung. An Islamic boarding school teacher in West Java was recommended a death sentence on Tuesday for charges of raping at least 13 students and impregnating some of them.

The defendant, Herry Wirawan, 36, is also facing chemical castration and Rp 500 million in fines and another Rp 331 million in damages that will be channeled to his victims, according to the prosecution demand read out during the closed-door hearing at the Bandung District Court.

"We first demanded a death sentence for the defendant to prove our commitment that he can’t commit any more crimes," West Java Prosecutor’s Office Head Asep Mulyana told journalists at the courthouse.

"We also asked the judges to impose additional sentences including the publicity of his identity and chemical castration," Asep added.

The defendant is charged under the tough Child Protection Law that carries a death sentence for serial child rapists. 

Herry was fully in charge of female students entrusted at his boarding school in the West Java capital of Bandung and he misused religious symbols and teachings to molest underage students, the prosecutor said.

Courts documents reveal that several of his victims have given birth to nine babies. One victim has now had two children.

Herry neither denied nor accepted the charges throughout court hearings that began last month.

Prosecutors also recommended the immediate closure of a foundation and two boarding schools run by Herry and the seizure of his assets to be used as benefits for his victims and their babies.

Herry has raped his students since 2016 at the boarding schools, hotel rooms, or apartments, according to the indictment.

The West Java Police began to investigate the case in May of last year but it wasn’t until December that the media learned about the shocking scandal as the court hearing began.

Police argued at that time that they didn’t give public exposure to the case to “prevent further psychological and social damages on the victims.”

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