Husband's assault on wife in Trenggalek ends in suicide: chronology and autopsy findings

A case of alleged domestic violence that ended in the death of a woman identified by the initials ED (33) in Trenggalek has taken a new turn. Autopsy results confirmed the death was due to ingesting herbicide, while the bruising on her body was not the main cause of death.

As reported by detikJatim, the incident had previously gone viral after a video circulated showing alleged assault by a man identified as AW (31), who was wearing a T-shirt bearing ‘Samapta Bhayangkara’. Here are the facts as reported by detikJatim.

Timeline: dispute leading to assault

The case began with a quarrel between ED, a resident of Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, and her alleged husband AW, a resident of Desa Karanganyar, Pule District, Trenggalek. The victim was on her way home to her hometown.

AW chased the victim as far as Tulungagung and urged her to return to Trenggalek. But before they reached the house, the two again became involved in a fierce argument that ended in assault.

Ridwan explained that the domestic dispute was triggered by the alleged theft of the victim’s mobile phone while she was working as a caregiver for the elderly.

“Knowing this, AW felt ashamed and angry, while his wife had already left Trenggalek and was about to return to Sumatra,” Ridwan said.

In the viral video, the victim is seen being struck repeatedly with bare hands and with pieces of wood, and was even pulled by the hair. After the incident, their relationship did not improve.

The climax occurred on Thursday, when ED took her own life by ingesting herbicide. She was treated at Pule Health Centre and then referred to RSUD dr Soedomo Trenggalek on Sunday morning and declared dead at 15:00 local time.

The Perpetrator is Not a Police Officer

Police eventually clarified that ED was not a member of the police. At the time of the assault, ED wore a T-shirt bearing Samapta.

“We can confirm that AW (33), who wore that T-shirt, is not a police officer,” said AKP Eko Widiantoro, Head of Criminal Investigation Unit at Trenggalek Police, while giving clarification on the status of the person wearing the shirt, on Tuesday (3 March 2026).

He explained that wearing the shirt, which was a Samapta police T-shirt, had led them to act, especially first verifying the wearer’s status.

They emphasised that the viral incident of assault by AW of Desa Karanganyar, Pule, Trenggalek against his mistress-wife had no link to the police institution. The act was purely a criminal act by AW.

Bystanders Did Not Intervene

One witness, who was called, said they saw the assault occur in an open area visible to others, but they did not dare intervene.

“I’m in a workshop at the time, I didn’t dare intervene. In the video you can see him carrying a piece of wood and striking the victim; the wood came from the workshop used to prop things up,” the witness said.

Perpetrator a Recidivist

Separately, police revealed AW had previous run-ins with the law. He is recorded as a recidivist in motor vehicle theft in 2015.

“From information we received, he is a recidivist,” said Pule Police Chief Iptu Muhtar on Tuesday (3 March 2026).

From the investigation of the Case Tracking Information System (SIPP) at Trenggalek District Court, AW was tried twice in a motor vehicle theft case and each time sentenced to one year in prison.

Now, investigators are still gathering evidence and will hold a case conference to determine the next legal step in the assault case.

Autopsy Findings

Trenggalek Police Chief Ridwan Maliki said autopsy was performed by the forensic team from East Java Police (Polda Jatim) into the early hours.

“Last night into the early hours, the forensic medicine team from Polda Jatim conducted an autopsy on ED (33). The result showed that the cause of death was herbicide poisoning,” Ridwan said on Monday (2 March 2026).

The medical team found several bruises on the head and arms, thought to be caused by blows from a wooden beam and sandals.

“Those injuries were caused by being struck with a wooden beam and sandals as seen in the video. But those injuries were not the cause of death,” he added.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit AKP Eko Widiantoro said the autopsy results will become one of the pieces of evidence in the legal process.

“We are still questioning witnesses who directly knew of the alleged violence,” he said.

From preliminary investigations, police did not find evidence of coercion by the husband regarding the act of drinking the herbicide.

“From the investigation, the husband did not force the victim to drink poison. It was her own initiative. However, there is evidence of violence,” he added.

Nevertheless, AW’s legal status remains that of a witness, and investigators are open to the possibility of upgrading the case.

Read more at detikJatim

(nor/nor)