Murder In Lebak Bulus: Confession Of Magical Whispers In Legal Cases Cannot Be Swallowed

Hallucination itself is a sensory disorder phenomenon that a person feels as if it are real. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA The case of the murder of a father and grandmother in Lebak Bulus last week attracted public attention, because the perpetrator was a teenager who was 14 years old. According to the police statement, the perpetrator with the initials MAS admitted that he heard a magical whisper that prompted him to commit the heinous act.

MAS is known to have stabbed his family members at his home in the Lebak Bulus area, South Jakarta on Saturday (30/11) early morning WIB. As a result of this incident his father, APW (40), and his grandmother, RM (69), died. Meanwhile, his mother, AP (40), was injured and is still being treated in hospital.

The police did not take long to arrest MAS. It is not yet known for sure what MAS motive was to stab his family. But from the police's point of view, he admitted to hearing the magical whispers that triggered the heinous act.

"Yes, at first he felt he couldn't sleep, then there was something that whispered to him, disturbing him, like that," said South Jakarta Metro Police Criminal Investigation Officer AKBP Gogo Galesbung.

Meanwhile, Forensic Psychologist Reza Indragiri Amriel emphasized that a thorough examination was needed to determine whether MAS did have a special mental condition or a mental illness claim was used as self-defense.

The experience of listening to magical whispers is often associated with mystical or simple things. In fact, according to psychologists, hearing magical whispers is a hallucinations and could be a symptom of mental disorders.

"In a cultural or spiritual context, this term is used to describe the experience of hearing sounds that are thought to come from supernatural beings, spirits, or supernatural powers," said Forensic Psychiatrist Natalia Widiasih Raharjanti.

However, in a psychiatric world, this phenomenon can be categorized as a hearing hallucinations, namely the perception of hearing sounds that feel real, even though there is no external source of sound.

"Halusinasi sendiri adalah fenomena gangguan sensori yang dirasakan seseorang-as if real, meskipun tidak ada sumber stimuli di lingkungan sekitarnya," jelasnya.

Meanwhile, Mental Medicine Specialist Zulvia Oktanida Syarif mentioned the need for a more in-depth evaluation when someone claims to hear magical whispers. This is done to determine whether there are really hallucinations or just excuses.

To prove whether this is a hallucinations or just a reason, a complete psychiatric examination or psychiatric examination is needed. Because in many cases of murder, supernatural whispers are often a reason for justification of the perpetrator's behavior.

In a number of cases related to the law, it is not uncommon for the perpetrators to claim to hear supernatural whispers as an excuse. Prior to the case that made MAS a suspect, in 2017 a police officer in West Kalimantan mudified his two children because they received magical whispers in the form of God's orders.

Still in the same year, a doctor in East Jakarta shot his wife with a firearm. In his confession, the doctor felt he had magical whispers to do that.

Regarding the murder case of father and grandmother in Lebak Bulus, forensic psychologist Reza Indragiri Amriel observed several things ranging from allegations of narcotics abuse, psychotropic substances, and other addictive substances as well as special mental conditions.

According to Reza, it is relevant to discuss the claims of whispers that are said to have been heard by criminals. Moreover, the auditory hallucinations, such as MAS claims, are recorded as the form of hallucinations that are most often conveyed by criminals.

"Obviously, it is necessary to check whether the claims about the symptoms of mental abnormality are correct. And whether the symptoms are part of the conditions that receive dispensation as referred to in Article 44 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code," Reza told VOI.

"If so, don't forget article 44 paragraph 2. This verse is often forgotten by the police, so that it unilaterally stops handling cases," he added.

Article 44 paragraph (1) states that whoever commits an act that cannot be held accountable to him because his soul is disabled in growth or disturbed by illness, will not be punished.

Meanwhile, Article 44 paragraph (2) If it turns out that the act cannot be accounted for to the perpetrator because of his mental growth that is disabled or disturbed by illness, the judge can order that the person be put into a mental hospital, a maximum of one year as a trial time.

On the other hand, according to Reza, it is also necessary to be aware of the possibility of the perpetrators acting as illness, pretending to be sick for personal gain. This is known as malingering, be it full, party, or false imputation.

"After all, every patient basically wants to escape the snares of the law. So, the possibility of prisoners with mental illness should be watched out for. It even deserves to be used as a burdensome thing, if the defendant is found guilty," he said.

The problem, said Reza, is that the Lebak Bulus case involves children who are in conflict with the law or ABH so that clinical people seem reluctant to build allegations that children can announcemaling. Because it is still very young, ABH is considered innocent, as if it is impossible for them to trick the law.

"Similarly for the examiner who concluded that ABH had auditory hallucinations and other abnormal mental conditions," said Reza again.

"Is there a possibility that the examiner who overestimates his assessment (making by proxy), thus opening up space for the perpetrator to escape the needle?" he concluded.