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Baby kidnapper gets four years in prison
The Bandung District Court sentenced on Wednesday housewife Desi Ariani to four years for kidnapping a baby, Valensia, from her parents at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in March
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he Bandung District Court sentenced on Wednesday housewife Desi Ariani to four years for kidnapping a baby, Valensia, from her parents at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in March.
Presiding judge Sihor Manalu said the court also fined the 33 year old Rp 60 million (US$5,000), or an additional 3 months' imprisonment if she could not pay the fine.
Sihor said the defendant had been proven guilty of violating Law No. 23/2002 on child protection.
The law carries a minimum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum sentence of 15 years, with a minimum fine of Rp 60 million and a maximum fine of Rp 300 million.
The verdict was lighter than the five years demanded by the prosecutors.
Desi's lawyer, Yopi Gunawan, said his client was still considering whether to appeal the verdict. 'We hoped that the judge would give her the minimum sentence since she took the baby for herself, not to sell,' Yopi said.
On March 25, Desi kidnapped Valensia by pretending to be a doctor and asking the baby's parents, Toni Manurung and Lasmaria Boru Manulang, to leave the room. When they left the room, Desi took the baby from the hospital.
The police managed to find Desi three days later but she tried to escape. As police officers chased her, Desi jumped from the nearby Pasteur-Surapati flyover and suffered injuries before she was finally arrested.
