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)