Man killed in duel with stepfather

Man killed in duel with stepfather

JAKARTA (JP): A 27-year-old man was stabbed to death by his
stepfather in a bloody duel sparked by the victim's disagreement
with his mother's decision to marry a man who is one year younger
than him.

Fuad died on the way to the Cipto Mangunkusumo general
hospital from stab wounds to his entire body as a result of the
duel with Har, 26, which took place in Johar baru sub-district,
Central Jakarta, on Thursday, Pos Kota reported.

Har also sustained stab wounds which were not so serious,
police said.

Fuad's mother, Rukiah, 46, said his son had strongly objected
to her marrying Har, and the two men had often argued fiercely
prior to Thursday's fight. Har has been unemployed since he
married Rukiah in 1989.

The daily said, quoting several neighbors of the couple, that
Har is a habitual drunkard. "Almost every night he came home
intoxicated and he often beat his wife whenever he got
plastered," one neighbor said.

Fuad, Rukiah's second son from her first marriage with F.
Rimba, seemed to have borne a strong grudge against Har as he had
often challenged his stepfather to fights.

His pent-up indignation appeared to have come to a head on
Thursday when he went to his grandmother's house on Jl. Tanah
Tinggi and found Har there.

Following a brief row, the two men went upstairs to continue
their argument, with both reportedly armed with knives.

Nobody was aware of the fight on the second floor of the two-
story house, not even Fuad's grandmother, police said.

"This was apparently because a noisy blacksmith and welding
workshop operates next to the house," a police officer said.

He said only after Har screamed very loudly did Har's
grandmother and several neighbors realize that a fight was taking
place. (bas)