Murder-suicide raises concern

Murder-suicide raises concern

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post/Boyolali

Anisa, 9, a third grader at the Sindon Madrasah Ibtida'iyah
Islamic school screamed in panic, "Astiwi is hanged... Astiwi is
hanged."

Anisa seldom found the main door locked when she returned home
from school at around 11 a.m. Her mother, Mujinem, 30, would
often greet her affectionately at the front door.

This time, however, there was no one to open the door and she
peeked through the keyhole. Her screams summoned dozens of Sindon
villagers who broke the door down.

Astiwi Lestari, 2, Anisa's younger sister, was found on
Wednesday hanging from a piece of plastic rope tied to the house
crossbeam that connected two pillars four meters high.

Mujinem, her mother, was also found hanging with a waist sash
around her neck less than a meter away, a bamboo ladder was
nearby.

Mujinem had borrowed the ladder from Senen, a neighbor, at
9:30 a.m., on the pretext that she wanted to mend the roof of her
house.

"No one felt suspicious because we had talked with Mujinem
from morning and we saw nothing strange about her," Safitri told
The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Mujinem's husband, Mujiono, 40, was still in a severe state of
shock, and Anisa was taken to a relative's house.

Family members and neighbors said that Mujinem was known to be
a quiet and introverted person.

"But she told me once that she owed a lot of money, the
amounts of which she never mentioned. She also sensed that her
husband didn't trust her because he considered she wasn't thrifty
enough with money," Safitri said.

Mujiono said he often asked his wife about the condition of
the household finances. "But every time I asked her, she threw
tantrums at me. I didn't mean to be fussy about it," said
Mujiono, who works as a bricklayer, earning between Rp 150,000
(US$16.00) to Rp 200,000 a month.

The poor family had been living with Mujiono's parents for the
past 11 years, relied on Mujiono's earnings to live.

Mujiono also tilled the family rice field not far from the
house when he was not working.

The reserved man said that he never knew what problems had
caused his wife to commit suicide and take the life of his second
child.

In the past 14 months, said Mujiono, his wife had on five
occasions attempted to commit suicide; by drinking pesticides,
pouring kerosene over herself and trying to kill herself on the
road.

"Five months ago, instead of using the money to buy
vegetables, she spent it on liquid mosquito repellent worth Rp
7,500. As I felt suspicious, I observed her intently to prevent
her from committing such a dreadful act," said Mujiono.

Mujiono said that Mujinem had never threatened him with
suicide. "She abruptly committed suicide and took my daughter
with her without threatening me or my parents beforehand," he
said.

While they were not common, murder-suicides, often by mothers,
were a recognized problem, Prof. Dr. Sjamsul Hadi, a psychologist
from the Surakarta 11 Maret University, said.

"Usually, the person whom a suicidal person takes along is
his or her most beloved one," Sjamsul told the Post.

He said that suicides or amok acts were usually committed by
people with introverted personalities who were prone to
depression. They easily blamed themselves and often feel deep
sorrow over trivial matters.

"Economic hardship can become a trigger for suicide or people
running amok," he said.