Margriet Cristina Megawe (right), the defendant in the murder case of 8-year-old Engeline Margriet Megawe, listens to the panel of judges deliver her verdict at Denpasar District Court on Monday
span class="caption">Margriet Cristina Megawe (right), the defendant in the murder case of 8-year-old Engeline Margriet Megawe, listens to the panel of judges deliver her verdict at Denpasar District Court on Monday. The court declared Margriet, Engeline's adoptive mother, guilty as charged and sentenced her to lifetime imprisonment. (Antara/Wira Suryantala)
The panel of judges at the Denpasar District Court sentenced the adoptive mother of Engeline Margret Megawe to life in prison on Monday for the murder of the 8-year-old.
The judges lead by Edward Harris Sinaga said the evidence presented by the prosecutors in the court proved that defendant Margriet Christina Megawe was guilty as charged, as reported by Kompas.com.
The sentence was in accordance with prosecutors' demands as Margriet was charged with premeditated murder.
However, her legal team plans to file an appeal, lawyer Dion Pongkor from the Hotma Sitompul firm said.
Margriet was seen bowing her head and crying after the judges delivered their verdict.
Meanwhile, Engeline's birth mother Hamidah who attended the trial was hysterical when she found out Margriet was sentenced to life in prison.
"I am not satisfied with the judges' verdict. If she is only going to be given life in prison, it would be better that I kill her. Because she doesn't know the torture I have been through," Hamidah said as quoted by kompas.com.
Engeline's case caught the public's attention after her family reported her missing in May 2015. Police found her body buried in the backyard of her adoptive mother's house in Denpasar in June.
Police also named Margriet's house helper Agustinus Tay a suspect. Prosecutors sought 12 years for Agus in the Engeline murder case. (rin)(+)
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