Spiritual Teacher In Bali Sentenced To 4.5 Years In Prison For Obscenity Case

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

DENPASAR - A spiritual teacher named I Wayan Mahardika (38) was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for an obscene case in a virtual trial at the Denpasar District Court, Bali.

"The trial, sentenced the defendant I Wayan Mahardika to a prison sentence of 4 years and 6 months, reduced as long as the defendant was in temporary detention," said the panel of judges led by I Made Pasek at the Denpasar District Court, Bali, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, 8 June.

In the trial, the panel of judges stated that the defendant had been proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing a criminal act of threats of violence, or violence, forcing an obscene act as stipulated in Article 289 of the Criminal Code.

There are also things that are aggravating, namely that the defendant's actions were carried out against a woman who had considered the defendant as a respected spiritual teacher. Second, the defendant's actions had disturbed the community, especially Hindus in Bali.

Meanwhile, the mitigating factors are that the defendant is polite, and always attends the trial well, and the defendant still has family responsibilities and small children.

Previously, the defendant was known to be Sulinggih (a purified person) and had committed obscene acts against the victim on behalf of KYD. The obscene act was carried out under the guise of performing a ritual in the form of self-cleaning which was carried out at night.

The defendant is suspected of having committed a criminal act of obscenity that occurred on July 4, 2020 at approximately 01.00 WITA in Tukad Campuhan Pakerisan, Tambak Siring Village, Tampaksiring District, Gianyar Regency.