Seven men including an army captain and a local official were arrested on Saturday on charges of detaining and raping a woman after she and her husband failed to pay back a business loan, according to police in Kyauk Tan Township, Yangon Region.
Two of the men, who allegedly committed the sexual assault, are still being detained, while four of the others, who were accused of taking part in the abduction, were granted bail. The charges against the army officer were transferred to military jurisdiction.
The victim filed the charges at Kyauk Tan police station on May 12.
“They had a business dispute involving the purchase of old houses. The victim’s family could not pay back a debt,” said Police Colonel Aung Myo Latt, from Kyauk Tan Township police station.
According to police, the 27-year-old woman and her husband went into hiding after they could not repay the borrowed money, which totaled 35 million kyat. The seven men allegedly detained the couple after finding them in South Dagon Division.
“They did not know how to solve this problem. When the couple could not pay back the money, they took the couple away,” the police officer said.
According to the charges filed by the woman, two of the men raped her, while the other five assisted in the abduction. They also beat her and her husband. She was allegedly raped at two separate locations: once on the street after group had taken her away by car, and then again at a house where she was held in Hlaing Thar Yar Township, according to her complaint.
Police Col. Aung Myo Latt said police would need to further investigate the charges.
A court in Kyauk Tan Township today granted bail to four of the men, and ordered the other two be held. Police said the charges against the Army captain would be handled by the military.
“We detained the two men who allegedly raped her. We laid charges against the other men who got bail,” said Colonel Aung Myo Latt.
