Teenager jailed for killing his mother

Teenager jailed for killing his mother

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta District Court sentenced a 17-
year-old boy over the weekend to three years and six months in
prison for killing his mother.

Presiding judge Mahdi S.N. said the defendant, Hardiansyah,
was guilty of killing his 53-year-old mother, Jumriyati, on Feb.
3 in their house on Jl. Setiakawan in Duri Pulo.

"The defendant should be held responsible for the murder since
a psychological examination stated that the defendant has no
mental problems," Mahdi said.

He said Hardiansyah stabbed Jumriyati twice in the chest and
abdomen while she was asleep.

Jumriyati was unable to scream since the defendant covered her
mouth with a piece of cloth, he said. The victim died on the
scene.

The defendant then left a note beside his mother's body saying
that he had killed her and asking his brothers and sisters not to
report it to the police.

"The defendant killed her because he was ashamed of having a
mentally ill mother," Mahdi said.

Mahdi said Hardiansyah violated Article 338 of the Criminal
Code.

Prosecutor Roskanedi had earlier asked the court to sentence
the elementary school dropout to seven years in jail for the
killing.

Both the defendant and the prosecutor accepted the judge's
decision.

Hardiansyah, who was accompanied by some of his siblings,
shook hands with the prosecutor and the judges, whom he thanked
for not giving him a harsher sentence.

The defendant had said that his mother started to suffer from
depression 10 years ago after returning home from Saudi Arabia
where she worked as a housemaid. The mother of 12 children went
off center after she found out her husband had taken another
wife. (jun)