Comment: Child murderer gets six-year jail sentence

Aug. 24, Online: The East Jakarta District Child Court sentenced 12-year-old Anton to six years in prison for killing his foster mother, Etty Rohayati, in Ciracas last October. Anton was proven guilty of domestic violence leading to Etty’s death, Judge Hari Budi said.  “The court orders the defendant be detained at Tangerang Children’s Penitentiary until he turns 18,” Hari said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com. Anton admitted to killing his foster mother with a wooden plank, a hammer and a knife because he felt mistreated.

Your comments:

This just cannot be right! I remember when the case happened and at this time it was reported that that boy was for years physically abused by his stepmother!
While I understand that a crime was committed in the eyes of the law, to even mention that the maximum sentence for a child could have been 15 years, and mentioning words as “sadist, cruel, cooperativeness, promise” is simply too much: also the mention that the “sentence is not an act of revenge” and “that it will teach him a lesson” are completely out of place.
This boy needs psychological help from professionals and not to sit in a jail cell. I also remember that a recent audit revealed that a lot of young offenders are actually not in Tangerang Children’s Penitentiary due to lack of space. Instead they share jail cells with adult offenders in Bogor jail.
There is surly a very high chance that these children will be true criminals by the time they are released. I wonder if there is a law protecting children from sentences such as this and if this boy (and others) have professional legal support! A very sad ending for this child!
Roland K.K.
Jakarta

Teaching a six year old child a lesson in prison? First he was traumatized by losing his parents in the tsunami followed by being mistreated by his step mother.
There must be another way to treat this child!
Henry Manoe
Kupang