Girl gets 10 months for drug trafficking

Girl gets 10 months for drug trafficking

JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the West Jakarta District Court
sentenced on Monday a 13-year-old girl to 10 months in jail for
trafficking 170 grams of marijuana.

"The defendant has been found guilty of violating chapter 82
of the 1997 Law on Narcotics," Judge M. Ismail told the court.

The chapter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail and
a maximum fine of Rp 1 billion (US$138,900).

The verdict was twice as heavy as the prosecutor's demand of
only five months in jail.

Ismail said the defendant, Teti Haerani bin Sayum, a sixth-
grade student at an elementary school in West Jakarta, was
arrested by police along with her mother on Sept. 11 at their
house on Jl. Angsana Raya.

"The police seized 170 grams of marijuana which was kept in a
pillowcase at the house," said Ismail.

Ismail said the defendant had admitted to being the owner of
the marijuana, packed in 17 paper packages.

"The defendant also admitted she had been asked by her mother
to sell the drugs to those who needed them," he said at the trial
session which was open to the public but only attended by the
defendant's mother Nurainun Lubis, prosecutor Fachrurozy and two
journalists.

Nurainun, in her 20's, is to be tried at a separate hearing.

Ismail, however, asserted that the defendant did not enjoy the
revenues of the mother-and-daughter drug business.

"She admitted that all the proceeds of the sales were handed
over to her mother. She got nothing," he said.

It was Nurainun who prepared the drugs for sale by putting the
marijuana in three different sizes of envelopes, costing between
Rp 5,000 and Rp 20,000 each, he said.

The defendant then sold the drugs as ordered by her mother,
the judge said.

So far, the teenage defendant had collected at least Rp
100,000 from selling the drugs and handed all the money over to
her mother, Ismail said without disclosing when the mother and
daughter began the illegal business.

During the trial, Nurainun's eyes were glistened with tears.
On the other hand, her daughter, sitting on the defendant's
chair, seemingly knew nothing of the trial and what the verdict
was all about.

Wearing a T-shirt, jeans, a red bandanna and green sandals,
Teti Haerani remained silent during the entire session, and
apparently was still confused about the court proceedings.

Ismail pointed out several facts that helped lighten the
sentence against the young defendant.

"She is still a kid and has never faced a court sentence," he
said.

However, he added, the defendant's actions endangered the
future of the country's youth and was contrary to the
government's drive against drug businesses across the country.

Worrying that the defendant failed to understand the verdict,
Ismail was forced to explain the meaning of his judgment slowly,
for the second time, at the end of the hearing.

Ismail even once directed the defendant to file an appeal to
the Jakarta High Court.

"You can lodge an appeal to the high court if you wish. Do you
intend to file an appeal?" the judge asked.

"I will do that, sir," Teti Haerani replied quietly.

After the trial ended, Nurainun abruptly escorted her daughter
to the detention room, probably to escape the media.

It remains unknown the number of children Nurainun really has.
(asa)