The trial of 55-year-old Minah at Purwokerto District Court was condemned Friday by Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, legal experts and human rights activists alike.

"It's extremely embarrassing," the minister told kompas.com. "Law enforcers must embrace humanitarian principles".

The court on Thursday handed down a suspended sentence of 45 days in prison. The mother of seven and grandmother of more was ordered to serve her jail term should she commit a similar crime within three months of her conviction.

Minah, a resident of Darmakradenan village in Ajibarang district, who stood trial without an attorney, said she took the cacao fruits in September to grow the plant from seed.

Your comments:
This is absolutely amazing. Is the company that owns the cacao so desperate for money that the Rp 1,500 means that much? Would it not have been better, in the context of good community relations, for the company simply to have just charged Minah a fair value for the cacao?

Maybe the company is trying to deliver a strong message: "Don't steal our crops". But I assure you, taking a grandmother to the police and courts is not the way.

Annie
Jakarta

What is this country coming to? Why are people becoming so totally and completely heartless? Has religion had any impact at all on these humans who have deliberately caused fellow souls to endure so much grief and misery?

Could it be true, then, what many predictions for 2012 say: that a large part of humankind will return to God by bodily death before 2012 since they can't stand the drastic and rapid changes; that another part of humankind will only think of themselves and amass riches and power while treating fellow souls unmercifully; that yet another part will only think of enjoying earthly pleasures; and that the last part of humankind will successfully pass the exams given by The Creator and enter a higher realm?

By wisely choosing to think, say, and do only good and loving things, by resolutely defending what is just and true, we may be selected to enter that last category.

Tami
Bogor, West Java

The trial of 55-year old Minah for cacao-stealing is another fine example that strengthens public suspicion on how big businesses can easily control the actions of the police by giving it enough "incentive", even at the risk of making the police look so incompetent!

Indra Soebagjo
Jakarta

I am an Indonesia citizen from Kendal, Central Java. I live with my husband, who is a Singaporean, and our two children in Singapore.

Here in Singapore, many rich people help the poor. But in my country, many rich people oppress the poor. What's is wrong with our culture.

Windayani
Singapore

Heartbreaking.

Cheegear
Jakarta

More that 60 years this country has had freedom. More than a thousand lawyers graduate every year from each university. And yet, the most powerful Indonesian ruler is only one. Law and jail only used to punish the poor.

No one is going to jail for century case.

Wahyu Irfan
Jakarta

This is the tragedy of the Indonesian legal system.

Sigit Kurniawan
Jakarta

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