Teen indicted for killing girlfriend

JAKARTA (JP): A 17-year old schoolboy was indicted at West Jakarta District Court on Monday, on charges of administering an overdose of chloroform to his girlfriend, after she refused a date. He was aided in the crime by two family servants.

Prosecutor Patta Sikapang said in a closed trial the defendant, Teddy Yaputra Sulaiman, along with his accomplices, drugged the victim, Heppy Trinita, 17, on April 25, and planned to rape her but found her already dead.

"The defendant was angry after being rejected by the victim. Heppy asked Teddy not to meet her any longer, telling him that she would study overseas," Sikapang said.

He said the senior high school student, along with Iksan Mulyono and Blacktozom Apua Walela, two servants at his house, planned to kidnap Heppy.

According to the initial plan, Teddy and Heppy would go out together and then be stopped by Iksan and Blacktozom. Teddy would then be robbed by Iksan, while Blacktozom would drug the victim with chloroform, Sikapang said.

Teddy watched Iksan and Blacktozom test the chloroform on a chicken and rabbit before committing the crime, the prosecutor said.

Teddy, a son of a restaurant chain owner, then contacted Heppy about going to watch a film for a farewell party.

He then picked her up from her aunt's house on Jl. Akasia, Kedoya, in West Jakarta, the prosecutor said.

The couple drove in a Mercedes Benz sedan to a deserted place near SMU Kemurnian senior high school on Jl. Sekretaris, Duri Kepa, also in West Jakarta, where Iksan and Blacktozom were already waiting, he said.

Sikapang said as they had planned, Iksan pointed a knife at Teddy while Blacktozom grabbed Heppy and covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief soaked in chloroform.

After the victim felt limp, he said, Iksan and Blacktozom left Teddy with Heppy.

The SMU second-grade student then took Heppy to a room at Hotel Pondok Citra on Jl. Daan Mogot which he already booked, the prosecutor said.

The defendant then asked a hotel employee, identified as Achyar, to help him carry the victim from the sedan to the room, he said.

Alerted by the victim's condition, the employee refused and instead asked the guest to immediately bring the girl to a nearby hospital.

A medical doctor from Hidup Sehat clinic came by later to check up on her condition and told Teddy that Heppy was already dead, he said.

Sikapang charged the defendant under Article 353 (3) of the Criminal Code for torture leading to death which carries a maximum punishment of nine years in prison.

Teddy's lawyer Hotma Sitompoel asked the court to drop the case in his response statement on Monday, citing Teddy's case should be handled by a special prosecutor since the defendant was a minor.

"The indictment should be dropped since the prosecutor was not equipped with a special letter to handle the case," Hotma said.

Teddy was released on bail on June 30 while Iksan and Blacktozom will be tried in separate sessions at the same court on Wednesday.(jun)