homicide in Purwokerto

When the two of them were no longer visible because they were hidden behind the bushes, suddenly, Vera started screaming for help. Two friends of Vera immediately called Uni, a senior transvestite who was also hanging around in the area. Uni immediately went to the bushes were Vera's screams were coming from and saw that the left side of Vera's breast is full of blood because of a stab wound. Uni immediately carried Vera and put her in a becak (pedicab). Vera was brought to her rented room in Jalan Sri Rahayu, Purwokerto. When they arrived in the house, Uni changed the clothes of Vera while a resident reported the incident to the Police Station in South Purwokerto.

	Zainudin alias Vera was a sex worker who used to hang around the S. Parman street, Purwokerto. Purwokerto is a sleepy town at the foot of Mt. Slamet in Central Java. On the fatal night of 29 October 2005, around 10:00 pm on, Vera was standing in front of the Kymco (motorcycle brand from China) dealer in Jl. S. Parman when a man who was wearing a hat, a black jacket, and slippers approached her. They talked for a while and then they walked in the direction of a security post that is about 200 m from the motorcycle dealer. When they got there, they talked again. Not long afterwards, they walked towards an area with bushes situated near the said security guard post.
	When the two of them were no longer visible because they were hidden behind the bushes, suddenly, Vera started screaming for help. Two friends of Vera immediately called Uni, a senior transvestite who was also hanging around in the area. Uni immediately went to the bushes were Vera's screams were coming from and saw that the left side of Vera's breast is full of blood because of a stab wound. Uni immediately carried Vera and put her in a becak (pedicab). Vera was brought to her rented room in Jalan Sri Rahayu, Purwokerto. When they arrived in the house, Uni changed the clothes of Vera while a resident reported the incident to the Police Station in South Purwokerto.
	Not long afterwards, the police from the Police Station in South Purwokerto arrived in the house of Vera and immediately brought her to Margono Hospital. Two friends of Vera, Uni and Surti, also went to the hospital. However, Uni did not stay long in the hospital: only Surti stayed with Vera in the hospital. Vera was kept in the hospital but she was not treated because nobody could afford to shoulder the medical expenses. On 5 November 2005, Vera died of complications. Vera's body was brought to her rented house while her friends prepared her burial. Vera was buried in the Karang Lesem Cemetery, Purwokerto.
	Vera's family itself lives in Purwokerto; in abject poverty. The lives of her family are also very tragic. Her mother already died. The eyes of her father are hazy and his ears are deaf because the becak (pedicab) he was driving was hit by a motorcycle in 2001. Her brother is also a becak driver, but he is mentally retarded so he cannot understand complicated conversations. With the help of friends and Arus Pelangi the family was later on able to buy a gravestone for Vera.
	Up to now, the dossier of the murder case of Vera is still pending at the Police Station in South Purwokerto. This is because the performance of the police is sloppy and they give the impression of discrimination regarding this murder case of Vera. This is apparent because the police have no suspects, the police only interviewed four witnesses, and has not bothered to obtain the result of the medical examination on Vera's wounds and death.
	Arus Pelangi kept pressuring the local police to be serious on the cases but with little result. The usual answer was that they had no funds and there are other, more important cases to handle. So Arus Pelangi lodged a complaint to the National Commission for Human Rights. The commission passed it to the National Police that did act promptly; it relieved the police commander from his post and replaced him with another. The local police precinct was shocked to find itself at the receiving end of a disciplinary action. At least, that was a positive outcome. Because then the police started to act seriously on the case. As of now it has identified a possible suspect. When that suspect happened to be arrested for a theft case, he was also interrogated in relation to Vera's case. But so far he has denied any involvement. In January 2007 his alibis have been checked and proven to be false. The case is now in the hands of the police to file the charge to the prosecutor.