Catholic with schizophrenia acquitted in Bogor blasphemy case on health grounds
A visibly distressed woman, Suzethe Margareth, entered the Al-Munawaroh mosque with a dog and without removing her shoes. She was convinced that her husband was getting married to another woman. The prosecution asked for eight months in prison. The court ruled that the defendant had committed an offence but could not be held responsible for it.
Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Cibinong District Court in Bogor regency (Central Java province) acquitted a Catholic woman suffering from schizophrenia.
Suzethe Margareth (pictured), 53, was charged with a blasphemy offence. On May 31, she had entered the Al-Munawaroh mosque in Sentul City with a dog and without removing her shoes.
The video of the incident was posted on social media and went viral. This sparked a major controversy, prompting senior Islamic officials to act to avoid religious tensions.
Prosecutors sought an eight-month jail term for the accused under Article 156a of Indonesia’s Penal Code, which covers blasphemy cases.
After a trial that lasted almost five months, the court ruled that the woman was guilty as charged, but could not be held responsible for her action because of her mental health.
The defence lawyer, Alfonsus Atu Kota, said that from the first hearing, everyone involved, including prosecutors and investigators, realised the mental state of his client.
"From her gestures, the way she speaks, we can all see that she is suffering," he said. “But the case was pursued because there was pressure from certain groups of people.”
According to psychiatric tests performed in 2013, Suzethe suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
About seven months ago, in a visibly distressed state, she entered the mosque convinced that her husband was going to marry another woman.
A video of the incident posted on line shows the woman saying that she is Catholic, accusing the mosque of having converted her husband to Islam.
Those present told her that they had no knowledge of any such wedding. She then kicks a security guard who had asked her to leave.
Many Muslims reacted angrily to the event. According to Islamic custom, dogs are impure and footwear is not allowed in mosques.
At present, prosecutors have not yet decided to appeal the decision rendered by the Cibinong District Court, which gave the woman’s family time to focus on her health.
At present, she is undergoing outpatient treatment at the Marzoeki Mahdi hospital, which includes monthly check-ups and drugs to control schizophrenia.
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