Young girl sentenced to 64 days in jail for theft

Young girl sentenced to 64 days in jail for theft

JAKARTA (JP): The district court in Yogyakarta yesterday
sentenced a fatherless 14-year old girl to 64 days in prison for
theft, a press report said.

The Bandung resident, whose name was not released, was found
guilty of stealing with an accomplice, still at large, while they
were on holiday in Yogyakarta on Jan. 20.

But the girl, who has been living with a relative since she
was one, will return home free because she has already spent
exactly 64 days in detention.

The trial session was emotional. The atmosphere was fraught
when the girl broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict read
by presiding judge Sugiarti in the presence of prosecutor
Nusirwaningsih.

The girl told the court she accepted the verdict, Antara
reported. She was accompanied by an official from the Institute
for Rehabilitation of Delinquent Children.

In the session also attended by the Bandung family that had
adopted her, the judge said the convict stole clothing and a
camera on Jan. 20th at midnight.

Earlier, the prosecutor demanded that the suspect be sentenced
to four months in jail. But the judge handed down a more lenient
sentence, taking into account that she is only a juvenile.

The trial and imprisonment of juveniles is a controversial
issue in Indonesia. Critics say that people under 17 should not
be tried because they cannot yet be considered responsible for
their actions.

The government and the House of Representatives are finalizing
a bill on court for juveniles.(pan)