Police in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) has named MIT, the bride who allegedly committed fraud by lying about her biological sex, a suspect in a case involving newlyweds that attracted nationwide attention this week.
Authorities got involved in the case after 31-year-old Muh filed a police report against MIT, who is identified by her initials, last Friday, alleging that the latter deceived him by withholding the truth about her biological sex before their marriage. During questioning, however, MIT told the police that her husband was well-aware that she is biologically male before their union.
Related – Newly married man in NTB sues wife alleging she lied about biological sex
“The result of our investigation, based on questioning witnesses and evidence, now [the case] is being processed further. [MIT] is a suspect,” Dhafiq Siddiq, who heads the criminal investigation unit at West Lombok Police, said.
Twenty-five-year-old MIT has now been formally arrested and charged with Article 378 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP), which carries a maximum sentence of four years’ imprisonment.
Police alleged that MIT may have forged her identity card (KTP) and said there is a statement indicating that she is a female, which was submitted as part of the administrative aspects of her marriage.
“For the time being we are charging her with fraud, because based on the report that she changed her identity is part of a series of things she did in relation to the fraud. There is a statement declaring she is female when they were taking care of marriage papers,” Dhafiq said.
However, Dhafid also told local media outlet Tribun that MIT had agreed to getting married because the groom, 31-year-old Muh, threatened her with suicide.
“The suspect agreed to get married, because the victim threatened that he will commit suicide if the suspect doesn’t want to get married with him,” Dhafid said.
MIT previously told the police that Muh was the one to take care of the administrative aspects of their marriage, while also claiming that he knew of her biological sex prior to tying the knot.
“He [Muh] proposed marriage to me, he asked me to come to his house [and] when we were there he forced us to be intimate. After that, he knew I was male,” MIT said yesterday.
“He touched me all over, and he also knew that my sex was just like him, but he still carried on with it.”
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