The police have arrested a couple in Cijaku district, Lebak, Banten over the death of their 8-year-old daughter, who was allegedly beaten to death by the mother.
The incident was discovered after the Cijaku Police received a report from local residents about a suspicious grave that had appeared in Gunung Keneng public cemetery in the district. The grave aroused the suspicion of the residents as there had been no recent information on a death or funeral in the area.
When the authorities and residents dug up the grave on Saturday, they found the body of a girl, still fully clothed.
Police then opened an investigation and found that the mother, identified only as LH, 26 and her husband IS, 27 were alleged to be behind the girl’s death.
The Lebak Police’s criminal investigation unit head, Adj. Comr. David Adhi Kusuma, said LH had tortured her daughter when she was assisting her with her online schoolwork.
“She was frustrated. She felt her daughter was difficult to teach, so she lost control,” David told kompas.com on Monday.
LH tortured her daughter, initially by pinching her and hitting her on the head with a broom, David said.
When IS found out about the violence carried out by his wife, David continued, IS scolded LH and decided to take his daughter, who was showing signs of breathing trouble, outside for fresh air.
His daughter, however, died on the way. The parents then allegedly took her body to the cemetery and buried her. David said the police were able to track the case to the parents after a local resident said IS had borrowed his hoe, claiming that he was going to use it to bury a cat.
The police have named both LH and IS as suspects in the case. They were charged with violating Article 80 of the 2014 Child Protection Law on child murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a Rp 200 million (S$18,300) fine.
The police also accused them of violating Article 388 of the Criminal Code on attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
