Mother batters 4-year-old boy to death for going home late

JAKARTA (JP): A four-year-old boy who had been severely beaten by his mother on Wednesday died at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) on Thursday morning from the injuries he had received.

The boy's uncle, Manufak Simanjuntak, 48, said the boy, Tommy Simanjuntak, had been severely beaten and kicked by his mother, Herawati Boru Manolu, 23, on Wednesday because Tommy had insisted on eating at his uncle's house and did not come home until late on Wednesday afternoon.

Herawati was reported missing on Wednesday evening, along with her youngest child, Angeline, who is only four-months old.

Tommy's father, Parlian Simanjuntak, 33, is a bus conductor, and was not at home when the incident occurred.

On Wednesday morning, Tommy went to play at Manufak's house, which is located next to his parents' home. Tommy told his uncle he was hungry, so Manufak gave him food.

"He played in my house till late afternoon. This upset his mother, Herawati, who then came to my house and ordered Tommy to go home.

"He didn't want to. So she dragged him out of my house, kicked him and beat him up very badly in front of the neighbors," Munafak said.

Manufak said that everybody saw her beating the boy, and by the time they managed to stop her, they were surprised to find Tommy lying face down on the ground, not moving.

"The neighbors got very scared and we all, including Herawati, rushed Tommy to the Bhakti Yuda Hospital in Depok at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. The hospital refused to receive Tommy since they said he was in a critical condition and that they did not have the equipment to deal with such a case," Manufak said.

The neighbors and Herawati then started to head towards RSCM. On the way there, Herawati got off at a bus terminal, saying that she would first pick Angeline up and then go to RSCM. She has been missing since then.

According to morgue attendants at RSCM, bones in Tommy's hands and legs had been fractured, and he died of severe internal injuries. (ylt)