A 15-year-old girl has allegedly murdered a five-year-old child in Central Jakarta, with eerie details about the case provided by the police coming as a huge shock to the nation.
According to the police, on Thursday, the teenage Sawah Besar resident, identified by her initials NF, drowned her young neighbor, identified by the initials APA, in her bathtub at home. APA and NF were known to be close, as the latter often played at the former’s house with her younger sibling.
NF initially hid APA’s body under some sheets in a bucket. Later in the day, she moved APA’s body to a closet.
On Friday morning, not knowing where to hide the body next, NF turned herself in to the police and confessed to APA’s murder.
“The culprit, in all conscience, admitted to murder and stated no remorse. Instead, she said she felt satisfied,” Central Jakarta Police Chief Heru Novianto told reporters on Friday, as quoted by Suara, adding that she was likely inspired by violent films.
Police say NF’s lack of remorse was even more apparent after subsequent questioning following her arrest.
“When questioned, the culprit always answered. She’s calm, relaxed, and even before we asked she was willing to tell her story,” Jakarta Metro Police spokesman Yusri Yunus told reporters on Saturday, as quoted by Kompas.
Yusri said that investigation into the case is ongoing but noted that NF will be tried with extenuating considerations as outlined in the 2012 Juvenile Justice System Law.
The Indonesian Child Protection Agency (LPAI) has called on the public not to condemn NF before she undergoes a thorough mental examination.
“We don’t know the psychological condition of the child. It must be examined. Don’t make it that the exposure of her case stigmatizes her,” Reza Indragiri Amriel, who heads LPAI’s child monitoring and protection department, told Kompas.
