A 53-year-old woman who works as a civil servant in Bangli was charged with suspicion of having stolen a mobile phone from an 11-year-old kid, police said.
The woman has been identified as NLE while the victim’s initials are IPGSD.
According to the Bangli Police, IPGSD went with his parents to attend his cousin’s nelu bulanin (a traditional ceremony in Bali celebrating an infant reaching three months in age) on April 7.
During the event, the boy reportedly played with his phone in the laundry room of the house. When IPGSD was asked to help carry plates, he left the device on the table next to his other cousins’ phones. When he returned, his phone was gone.
IPGSD immediately alerted his father, KH.
“[The victim’s father] tried to call the mobile phone but it was already inactive,” Bangli Police spokesman Wayan Sarta said.
Family members tried to locate the phone after the ceremony concluded that afternoon, but to no avail. After KH filed a police report, the Bangli Police conducted an investigation and concluded that NLE, who was present at the ceremony and pretended to help around, stole IPGSD’s phone.
“The suspect pretended to help with the event. When the victim was unaware of the surroundings, she took the phone and hid it inside a besek,” said Wayan, referring to a container made of plaited bamboo.
NLE was arrested at her office on Monday and confessed to stealing the kid’s phone upon questioning. She was later released but was ordered to report to the police regularly. She told the authorities that she planned to sell the device due to financial difficulties.
Under Indonesian law, NLE could face a maximum of 5 years behind bars for theft.
