Husband Mutilates Wife in Ciamis, Sadistic Murders That Keep Recurring

The mutilation incident in Ciamis is a small part of similar cases that continue to recur. Mitigation must be carried out.

This article contains violent content. This article is not intended to inspire you to commit violence. If you are experiencing depression or mental health problems, immediately contact a psychologist or the nearest mental health service.

DOKUMENTASI AI SANI NURAINI

Location of the murder and mutilation of a resident with the initials Y by her husband, TBD, at his home in Sindangjaya Hamlet, Cisontrol Village, Rancah District, Ciamis Regency, West Java, Friday (3/4/2024). It is suspected that the perpetrator was depressed due to economic factors.

Murder by mutilating the victim occurs again. This time, the perpetrator was a husband in Ciamis Regency, West Java. He cut up his wife's body.

Depression due to economic pressure is thought to be the trigger. A breakthrough is needed to prevent this heartbreaking incident from happening again.

The lips of Eha Sutiha, Head of the Cisontrol Village Government Section, Rancah District, Ciamis, trembled. Several times he caught his breath while telling about the mutilation case in his village on Friday (3/5/2024) morning. Until noon, he had not had time to eat because he was taking care of the case.

"At 07.45 WIB, the village head reported. He said, there was a murder case. "Village officials went straight there," he said.

Also read: Mutilation in Malang City Triggered by Witchcraft Practices

After being checked in Kampung Sindanglaya, the perpetrator was identified as Tarsum bin Daspin or TBD (51), a local resident. The victim was his wife, Y (42).

The incident shocked residents. Before the incident, the victim was preparing to attend recitation at the mosque. The victim said goodbye to her husband and children.

However, while walking in the alley near the house, the perpetrator suddenly killed the victim. TBD even mutilated the victim using a knife.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Portrait of the Cisontrol Village Office, Rancah District, Ciamis Regency, West Java, Friday (3/5/2024). In that village there was a case of mutilation which was allegedly carried out by a husband against his wife.

Ironically, the perpetrator, who was a goat seller, allegedly offered pieces of his wife's body to his neighbors.

A video of the perpetrator carrying objects suspected to be body parts and covered in blood spread on social media. The residents who recorded it were also hysterical.

"Indeed, the perpetrator carried something with him. "But, I don't know exactly what it is," said Eha.

The perpetrator was finally arrested by village officials, police, TNI and residents. In fact, as in the video spread on social media, the perpetrator was carried with his hands and feet tied.

The police then took the victim to the Rancah Sector Police. In the cell, the handcuffed perpetrator often holds his head.

Depression

The incident shocked the village residents. So far, the victim and the perpetrator have never been heard arguing.

TBD, who is a resident who moved from a neighboring village, also regularly interacts with the community. The perpetrator has also never caused any problems in the neighborhood.

However, said Eha, the perpetrator is currently undergoing outpatient treatment. TBD is thought to have experienced depression in recent years.

“His business selling goats went bankrupt. I don't know how long I've been depressed. "This is the first time he has acted," he said.

Also read: Mutilation of Malang's Big Market and Lessons Learned

According to Eha, this is the first time there has been a case of mutilation in his village. This tragic incident became a topic of conversation among residents of the sub-district and throughout Ciamis.

"It's really scary. I saw it in the video, I was afraid. How could they be so heartless? But, I guess the economic conditions are like this," said Teti Nurhayati, a resident of Rancah.

Ciamis Resort Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Akmal said the perpetrator resisted when he was about to be arrested. Now, the perpetrator has been transferred to Ciamis Police custody. Meanwhile, the victim's body parts were taken to Ciamis Regional Hospital for autopsy purposes.

"We are still investigating the motive. We will also examine the mental condition of the perpetrator," said Akmal. The police have called in expert witnesses to check the mental health of the perpetrator.

The Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Ciamis Police Resort, Adjunct Commissioner Joko Prihatin, stated that they have conducted a crime scene investigation in the perpetrator's home. Police lines have also been installed at the location. The activity took place from 09.00 to 12.00 WIB.

The police have also examined five witnesses from the victim's relatives and neighbors. From the examination, it is known that the perpetrator underwent a mental condition check by officials at the local health center three days ago. The perpetrator has received calming medication.

"The perpetrator's actions can be charged under two articles of the criminal code, Article 338 on murder and Article 340 on premeditated murder," said Joko. The maximum punishment could be life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Repeated

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

A police line stretches across the fence at the location of the murder accompanied by mutilation by the husband of the wife in Bunulrejo Village, Blimbing District, Malang City, East Java, Sunday (31/12/2023)

The mutilation case in Ciamis adds to the long list of wife mutilations in this country. At the end of 2023, a man in Bunulrejo Village, Blimbing District, Malang City, East Java, surrendered himself to the police after mutilating his wife. The trigger is thought to be a family problem.

Ten years earlier, in 2013, Silvester Bria (48), a farmer in Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, killed and mutilated his wife, Rosalina Bete (45), and her child, Emelia Putri alias Esrah (2.5). At the time of the incident, the wife, a private elementary school teacher, was three months pregnant.

The perpetrator surrendered himself to the police after carrying out his heinous act. From the police investigation, it is suspected that the perpetrator killed the victim because he felt offended in front of his wife's extended family (Kompas, 10/3/2013).

Several studies indicate that there are many motives for mutilation. Generally, mutilation is carried out to eliminate the perpetrator's tracks as the police find it difficult to identify the victim's body.

The cuts in the genetalia usually have a love motif. The head cutting was motivated by revenge.

The view was stated in an article written by Ahmad Albar and colleagues titled "Juridical Analysis of Homicide Crime Accompanied by Mutilation in Criminological Perspective". The article also mentions the issue of mental disorders in the mutilation perpetrators.

KOMPAS/EMILIUS CAESAR ALEXEY

The defendant in the case of sexual violence and mutilation, Baekuni alias Babeh, bowed his head while listening to the reading of the verdict at the East Jakarta District Court, Wednesday (6/10/2010). The panel of judges found Babeh guilty of premeditated murder and sexual violence against his four victims and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

It is stated that femicide is not ordinary murder because it contains gender inequality, domination, aggression and oppression. The report also revealed the fact that hundreds of cases of femicide were committed by people closest to the victim, such as husbands, friends, close relatives and boyfriends. Gender inequality is the root of the problem (Kompas, 11/12/2021).

Violence against women

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

A number of students displayed their palms as a form of campaign to stop violence against children during the commemoration of National Children's Day in West Java Regency of Kuningan on Thursday (July 28, 2022). The West Java Provincial Government launched the Brave Prevention of Violence or Jabar Cekas movement to anticipate cases of violence against children.

In West Java, Y's death adds to the long list of women victims of violence. Cases of violence occur thousands of times every year.

According to data from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, the number of violence cases against women in West Java in 2023 reached 1,128 cases with 1,151 victims. The city of Bandung had the highest number of cases, with 234 cases.

In 2024, from January to April, there were 220 cases of violence against women with a total of 224 victims. The highest number of cases in the last four months occurred in Bekasi Regency, with 36 cases.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

The image of a handprint has been used as a symbol of solidarity to stop violence against children in the commemoration of National Children's Day in West Java, held in Kuningan Regency on Thursday (July 28th, 2022). Violence, bullying, and harassment continue to haunt children in West Java.

The head of the Regional Technical Implementation Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (UPTD PPA) in West Java, Anjar Yusdinar, explained that the majority of the victims experience psychological and physical violence. Even some victims have experienced multiple forms of violence simultaneously.

"We have prepared a safe house for victims of violence. In that place, we will always accompany the victims and provide free medical and psychological services," said Anjar.

Taking cues from the mutilation case in Ciamis, law enforcement or post-incident assistance often prove insufficient in addressing such heinous acts. Innovation and mitigation towards tackling the root of the problem are necessary.

The problem of gender inequality and solving economic hardship must be taken into consideration to minimize the cruel incidents that continue to recur.

Also read: Understanding the Phenomenon of Depression among Specialist Medical Education Participants