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Margriet Megawe files pretrial petition
Margriet Christina Megawe, a suspect in the murder of her adopted daughter Engeline Margret Megawe, filed a pretrial petition with the Denpasar District Court on Thursday
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M
argriet Christina Megawe, a suspect in the murder of her adopted daughter Engeline Margret Megawe, filed a pretrial petition with the Denpasar District Court on Thursday.
'The point is that the police don't have enough evidence to name Margriet a suspect,' said Margriet's lawyer, Hotma Sitompul.
Hotma said in the petition, the police had been asked to present the evidence used as a basis to name Margriet a suspect.
'If there is enough evidence, it's OK. If it's not enough, please release [my client],' Hotma said.
Denpasar District Court spokesperson Hasoloan Sianturi said the court would process the pretrial petition. 'The court will appoint a judge to preside over the hearings,' Hasoloan said.
The police named on Sunday Margriet, 60, the prime suspect in the murder of 8-year-old Engeline.
Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Ronny Franky Sompie said the decision was based on evidence presented by expert witnesses from the Sanglah General Hospital in Denpasar, Bali Police's forensics laboratory and the National Police.
Ronny said former prime suspect Agustay 'Agus' Hamda May, a domestic helper at Margriet's house, had helped bury the body in the backyard.
Previously, Agus claimed that Margriet had killed her daughter and promised to pay Agus Rp 200 million (US$15,000) to bury the corpse.
Several witnesses earlier told the police that Margriet often beat the child. One of the witnesses, Franky, a former helper at Margriet's house, said she frequently slapped Engeline on the legs and torso and dragged by her long hair.
Despite naming Margriet a suspect in the murder, the police have yet to find the motive behind the killing.
Before naming her a murder suspect, the police declared Margriet a suspect for neglecting the girl and detained her.
The case hit the headlines after Engeline's sister created a Facebook page entitled 'Find Angeline-Bali's Missing Child'.
The Safe Childhood Foundation, the Bali branch of Sahabat Anak Foundation and the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), organized an event to distribute flyers on the girl in the neighborhood around Engeline's house after she had been reported missing on May 16.
