Judge Partahi Tulus Hutapea said the judges’ use of circumstantial evidences to determine Jessica’s sentence was legitimate, such as the fact that Jessica had ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee and been the only one with access to it before the victim drank it.

He added that the judges had also considered Jessica’s suspicious gestures before making the decision.

"Formally, to prove a criminal act, an eyewitness is unnecessary. If the defendant used poison, an eyewitness who saw her [pour it into the glass] is unnecessary," said Partahi when reading the judge’s verdict, which sentenced Jessica to 20 years in prison.

The absence of eyewitnesses was a problem since the beginning of the police investigation into the case. The Jakarta Prosecutor’s Office returned the case dossier to the police four times before the prosecutors finally agreed that there was sufficient evidence to take the case to court.

Presiding Judge Kisworo believed Jessica deserved the sentence because she had coldly killed her friend. "First, the defendant’s act caused the death of Mirna. Second, her act was cruel and sadistic as it was done to her best friend," Kisworo said.

The fact that Jessica never showed regret for her wrongdoing nor admitted to the crime was a factor behind the length of the sentence, said Kisworo, adding that her young age was a mitigating factor. (bbn)

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