These are 4 Legal Cases that Have Befallen the Elderly in Indonesia

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By:

Team of Hukumindo

Previously, the www.hukumindo.com platform has talk about "The Case of Fake Doctors in Indonesian Soccer", "Case of Boredom at Work", "Contoh Permohonan Pengampuan (Curatele)", you may read also "10 Mega-Corruption Cases with the Largest Losses in Indonesia" and on this occasion we will discuss about 'These are 4 Legal Cases that have Befallen the Elderly in Indonesia'.

A 68-year-old grandfather named Samirin in North Sumatra was sentenced to 2 months and 4 days in prison by the Simalungun Court, Wednesday (15/1/2020). Samirin was convicted after being found guilty of picking up remaining rubber tree sap on a plantation owned by PT Bridgestone. He was proven to have taken 1.9 kilograms of latex which, if converted into rupiah, was around Rp. 17,000. He will sell the sap to sap collectors in order to get money. However, he had not even left the garden area, an officer caught him and took him to the security post. The company also reported it to the police.[1]

Samirin admitted to the judge that he did this because he needed money to buy cigarettes. Legal cases involving the elderly did not only affect Samirin's grandfather. Sad stories about elderly people who have had trouble with the law have happened several times. Here are some of them:[2]

1. The case of Grandma Saulina. Still from North Sumatra, on January 29 last year, a grandmother named Saulina Boru Sitorus (92) was sentenced to 1 month and 14 days by a judge at the Balige District Court, Toba Samosir. The woman who is familiarly called Opung Linda cut down a 5-inch diameter durian tree belonging to her relative, Japaya Sitorus (70), because she wanted to build a grave for her ancestor. However, the judge's decision was questioned because the witnesses presented were the children and wife of the complainant himself. In fact, the people around the site have never seen Japaya plant the durian tree in question. He admitted that he had apologized to Japaya, but he asked for hundreds of millions of rupiah in compensation as a form of peace. Saulina was unable to fulfill the request and finally reported it to the police. Not alone, Saulina's six children were also detained, each of whom was imprisoned for 4 months and 10 days deducted from the prison term.
2. The case of Grandma Asyani. Asyani (70), a resident of Krastal Hamlet, Jatibanteng Village, Jatibanteng District, Situbondo was jailed on December 15 2014. She was found guilty of stealing 7 teak wood that her husband cut down from land Perhutani said was his. Even though he felt that the land was his own, and did not belong to the state-owned company's land. As a result of this, Grandmother Asyani was sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, his party submitted a request for suspension which was granted by the court, so he was declared free on March 16, 2015. Previously, he was already afraid of the threat of punishment that he would receive. "I'm afraid because I want to be sentenced to 15 years in prison, what will happen to me. I can't sleep well. I'm old like this," said Asyani using the regional language.
3. The Case of the Anjol Hasim and Jamilu Nani Couples. Furthermore, the elderly who also stumbled on legal cases in their old age were a husband and wife from Tenggela Village, Tilango District, Gorontalo Regency. They are Anjol Hasim (75) and Jamilu Nani (80) who were proven guilty of stealing 6 bamboo sticks. Both were sentenced to 20 days in city detention as a result of this case. However, the judge only sentenced him to a violation of destroying someone else's area and not an article on theft. That's because the bamboo trees they cut down are actually on their own land that has been sold to other parties. This statement is shown by the sale and purchase agreement.
4. The case of Minah's grandmother. Finally, a legal case involving an elderly person occurred in Banyumas Regency, Central Java. She is Granny Minah (55) who was accused of stealing 3 cocoa pods from PT. RSA worth IDR 2,000. In October 2009, he was sentenced to 6 months in prison. The case was handled by the Purwokerto District Attorney. However, he did not immediately stay in prison and could still work in the garden as usual, as long as the sentence had not been handed down. He has apologized to the company foreman who reported his actions to the police. Minah asked the foreman to bring back the cocoa pods she had brought before. Minah admitted that she did not know that her actions violated the rules, which made her have to deal with the law to that extent.

And if you have any legal issue in Indonesia territory, contact us then, feel free in 24 hour, we will be happy to assist you. 

*) For further information please contact:

Mahmud Kusuma Advocate

Law Office

Jakarta - Indonesia.

E-mail: mahmudkusuma22@gmail.com

________________

References:

1. "Selain Kakek Samirin, Ini 4 Kasus Hukum yang Sempat Menimpa Lansia", www.kompas.com., Diakses pada tanggal 29 Januari 2023, Link: https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2020/01/18/213315465/selain-kakek-samirin-ini-4-kasus-hukum-yang-sempat-menimpa-lansia

2. Ibid.