Girl commits suicide

Girl commits suicide

JAKARTA (JP): A 19-year-old housemaid hanged herself in the Pondok Indah housing complex in South Jakarta Tuesday, raising the death toll from suicide to nine this year.

A forensic expert, Zulhasmar Syamsu, said yesterday the victim was identified as Suharti, who worked for a family residing on Jl. Pinang Perak.

Suharti was found dead about 9 p.m. by her roommates -- Purwanti and Mulyani -- hanging from the top step of a spiral staircase on the third floor.

No details about her possible motives for committing suicide were available.

"I left her alone in our room about 6:30 p.m. after the maghrib prayer," Mulyani said. "She was lying on the bed, saying that she felt sick."

She said Suharti arrived in Jakarta just two weeks after the Idul Fitri holiday from Sragen, Central Java.

Suharti's body was sent to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for a postmortem examination.

Earlier this month, two young women committed suicide in separate incidents in West and South Jakarta.

Epri Supriati, 17, a former shop attendant, was found dead about 6 a.m., lying on her bed in the family home on Jl. Perawatan, Kalideres in West Jakarta.

An empty glass and a can of liquid insecticide were found near her body. Her relatives believe that she decided to end her life after a breakup with her boyfriend.

On the same day, Sri Hartini, 23, was also found by her family at their home in Saroso Indah village of Kebayoran Lama in South Jakarta.

She had apparently hanged herself from the lintel above the door using batik cloth, a police report said. (emf)