Housewife hospitalized for killing
Housewife hospitalized for killing
JAKARTA (JP): The West Jakarta District Court yesterday
sentenced a housewife, tried on charges of torturing her maid to
death, to one year of treatment at a psychiatric hospital.
Presiding judge Maryatmo said the defendant, Maria Ursula
Tangguh, 35, was found guilty of killing her housemaid, Srini,
33, on Dec. 16, 1996.
"But she could not be sentenced to prison because she was
diagnosed as being insane by a team of doctors from Kramatjati
Police Hospital," Maryatmo said.
Based on Article 44 of the Criminal Code, judges could send an
insane defendant to a psychiatric hospital for treatment for a
maximum of one year, he said.
He said witnesses testified that the defendant actually did
not intend to kill Srini.
Maria, a resident of Jl. Garden in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta,
just wanted to torture the victim, he said.
The mother of two children reportedly often beat Srini with a
wooden rod and poured chemical liquids on her, Maryatmo said.
He said the defendant was found guilty of violating Article
351 of the Criminal Code.
The defendant's lawyer, Sahala Siahaan, asked the court to
free the defendant since she was insane.
Prosecutor Leonardi asked the court to send the defendant to
Jakarta Psychiatric Hospital in Grogol, West Jakarta so that the
prosecutor's office could monitor her progress.
Leonardi was considering to appeal the court decision since
the judges did not mention to which hospital the defendant would
be sent. The defendant's lawyer accepted the verdict.
Leonardi acknowledged after the court session that he could
only ask the court to send the defendant to a hospital for one
year based on the Criminal Code.
"The code gives us no other option. We can't change it," he
said.
Maria's family has reportedly given Srini's relatives Rp 30
million (US$3,157) in compensation.
Five years ago, the same court released the defendant on the
basis that she was insane even though she was found guilty of
torturing another housemaid to death. (jun)