One of the most shocking murder cases to happen in Indonesia recently involves a woman in Jombang, East Java, who is suspected of taking the lives of her three small children before attempting suicide by drinking mosquito repellant.
On Tuesday morning, the woman, identified by her first name Evi (26), was found lying on the bathroom floor in her house. Her three children, aged 6, 4, and 4-months, were all found dead in the house. Police believing that Evi drowned the youngest in a bathtub and then made the other two drink mosquito repellant before she tried to take her own life by drinking the poisonous chemical.
Details about the case, particularly Evi’s suspected motive for the horrific act, have emerged after local police conducted an investigation the past few days. After questioning Evi’s husband and family members, the police say that it’s very likely that Evi was depressed because of a deeply unhappy marriage.
“The husband of this woman admitted that their relationship over the past three years has been distant. Furthermore, Evi is the second wife after the first wife passed away. And then the husband decided to marry another woman. This is what added to Evi’s disappointment and what could have sparked her reckless action,” said Jombang Police Chief Agung Marlianto, as quoted by iNews.
According to the police, Evi’s husband, identified as Gus Gin, is a caretaker at a religious school in Jombang. He performed nikah siri (a marriage that follows Islamic norms but not recognized by the state) with Evi several years ago, with whom he had three kids. However, they separated recently and while Gus Din sent Evi and the kids money to begin with, the financial support soon stopped. More recently, Gus Din married another woman, leading to even more disappointment for Evi and her reported depression.
Evi, who is reportedly still being treated at a local hospital, is likely to be charged with infanticide. Under child protection laws in Indonesia, the murder of children is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment with a possible additional 5 years if the victim is one’s own child. Meanwhile, the police said that Gus Din could be charged with child neglect, which is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
