In a separate trial, prosecutors also demanded an 18-year prison term for Tini, Benget's fiancé, who has been accused of abetting the crime.

The prosecutor said the defendant deserved the harshest punishment because he not only killed his wife but also tortured her, inserted a bottle of hot water into her vagina, dismembered her, made broth with her heart and dumped her body parts on the Cikampek toll road.

Benget's lawyer, Edward Sihombing, strongly objected, claiming that his client had a long-standing mental problem.

'I object to the death penalty for my client. The condition of a totally sane person would worsen when handed the death penalty, let alone someone with a mental problem,' he said as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that in presenting his defense next week, he would ask the panel of judges to seek expert opinion on whether the death penalty was appropriate for his client.

Benget and Tini were arrested on March 6, two days after the victim's mutilated body was discovered on the toll road. According to the police investigation, the murder was a result of an argument between Benget and his wife over his relationship with Tini, a maid in their house in Rambutan, East Jakarta.

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