Defendant in Indramayu family murder case sentenced to death

The panel of judges at the Indramayu District Court, West Java, has handed down a death sentence with a 10-year probation period to Ririn Rifanto, the defendant in the premeditated murder case of five people from one family in Indramayu Regency. Presiding Judge Wimmy D. Simarmata stated that the defendant was legally and convincingly proven to have committed premeditated murder and violence against children resulting in death. “Sentencing the defendant therefore to death with a probation period of 10 years,” he said while reading the verdict at the Indramayu District Court on Wednesday. The judge also stipulated that the death penalty could be commuted to life imprisonment through a Presidential Decree after consideration by the Supreme Court, should the defendant demonstrate commendable attitudes and actions during the probation period. In its legal considerations, the panel of judges stated that the premeditated murder, particularly against children, constituted an extraordinary crime requiring firm and effective law enforcement. “The act of premeditated murder is qualified as an extraordinary crime, graviora delicta and super mala in se,” he said. Judge Wimmy stated that the death penalty is not solely retribution but also aims to protect society through general prevention and special prevention. He emphasised that the verdict was handed down based on trial facts and valid evidence, not out of sympathy or narratives unsupported by proof. “The law does not judge a person based on the most heart-wrenching story, but on convincing facts,” he said. He conveyed that there were no mitigating circumstances for the defendant, so all considerations led to the imposition of the most severe penalty. The defendant was also found to have violated Article 459 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of the Criminal Code, as well as Article 80 paragraph (3) of Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2026 concerning Criminal Adjustments. Previously, the public prosecutor from the Indramayu District Attorney’s Office had also sought the death penalty for Ririn Rifanto, as he was deemed to have been proven to commit premeditated murder and to participate in violence against children resulting in death. The case originated from the murder of five people in one family in Paoman Village, Indramayu Regency, in August 2025. The murder victims consisted of Sahroni (75), Budi (45), Euis (40), RK (7), and an eight-month-old baby.