Soldier fatally stabs pregnant girlfriend

BOGOR (JP): Bogor military police detained on Wednesday Second Pvt. Halmidi Alamsyah, 23, after he reportedly confessed to the murder of his five-month pregnant girlfriend a day earlier.

Halmidi was arrested at his residence at the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) 17th Infantry dormitory in Cijantung, East Jakarta, on Wednesday morning, following the discovery of the body of Santi, 22, in West Karang Asem village, Citeureup district, near the Jagorawi toll road.

Santi, a resident of Cilodong subdistrict, worked at a small food processing firm in Citeureup.

According to Bogor Police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Santun Marpaung, Halmidi fatally stabbed Santi on Tuesday night because he did not want to take responsibility for her pregnancy, saying they had first become intimate three and a half months ago.

After stabbing Santi in the chest with a bayonet, the soldier abandoned his girlfriend's body. Local residents found the body and reported to police.

During questioning, Halmidi claimed to have slept with Santi three times.

Santun said the victim and her family had insisted during a meeting on Monday evening that the soldier marry her, while Halmidi said he was not responsible for Santi's pregnancy.

Citing military rules, Halmidi said he was not allowed to marry for a certain period of time.

Halmidi apparently panicked when his girlfriend insisted he marry her during their meeting shortly before the murder.

The suspect took Santi to see a movie after office hours prior to the murder. The two began to quarrel.

Police seized several pieces of evidence, including the bayonet. Halmidi was handed over to Bogor military police office along with the weapon. (21)