Indonesian shaman 'kept woman captive in a cave' for 15 years

Indonesian police released this photo of the cave.

The man faces 15 years in jail if found guilty. Photo / Indonesian police

An Indonesian village shaman kept a 13-year-old girl as a sex slave for 15 years after convincing her that he was possessed by the spirit of her boyfriend, police say.

The girl, named only as H by police, went missing from the village of Bajugan in 2003 and was kept in a jungle cave by the shaman, identified by officers as JG.

Police said JG, 83, had shown the girl, now aged 28, 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," Central Sulawesi Police Chief Muhammad Iqbal Alqudusy said.

During the day the woman was kept in the cave to avoid detection, but at night she was brought up to a hut near the shaman's own.

She was rescued on Sunday by officers acting on a tip-off.

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

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

According to the Jakarta Post, the sister was married to the son of the shaman, known for his traditional healing methods and abilities to channel spirits.

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

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