Learning From Ferdy Sambo's Case: Rational Thinking Is Very Important So You Don't Lose Yourself

Ferdy Sambo was sentenced to life imprisonment by the prosecutor. (Antara)

JAKARTA – As the head of the family, maintaining and protecting the dignity and honor of the family is absolute. That is why Ferdy Sambo was angry when his wife, Putri Candrawathi, told him about the sexual harassment she had experienced in Magelang.

Ferdy Sambo's emotions ran high when he found out that the perpetrator was his own adjutant, Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat. With a bigger power relation, Sambo asked other aides to 'punish' Joshua.

As a two-star general, he was no longer able to think rationally. Eliminate the principle of the presumption of innocence which actually continues to stick to him as a police officer, who has been in the world of detectives for decades.

This condition, according to Forensic Psychologist from the Indonesian Forensic Psychology Association, Reni Kusumowardhani, can happen to anyone.

“When emotions run high, one can no longer control common sense. Because the stimulus that came was extraordinary, in the sense of a stimulus that really disturbed the life principles that one believed in," said the forensic psychologist from the Indonesian Forensic Psychology Association, Reni Kusumowardhani to VOI, Wednesday (18/1).

Forensic Psychologist from the Indonesian Association of Forensic Psychology Reni Kusumowardhani (YouTube screenshot)

Research shows that more than 60 percent of couples tend to do the same thing, according to Reni. The husband will respond with extraordinary anger when he finds out his wife is being abused.

Look at the case of Hollywood artist, Will Smith. He immediately became enraged when Chris Rock joked on the Oscars stage in March 2022 that he compared his wife Jada Pinkett's bald appearance to Demi Moore in 'G.I. Jane'.

Smith immediately came over and slapped Chris Rock in front of the Oscar invitees even though he could have warned Rock by shouting from his seat.

Or the case in Medan, where a husband with the initials AS (29) abused a transport driver to death recently. The motive is also known because the driver often abused his wife.

“In a sense, emotional outbursts occur when there is a stimulus. If the stimulus is normal, maybe the emotional outburst that occurs is also normal, maybe it doesn't involve the killing of another person," said Reni.

Meanwhile, in the case of Ferdy Sambo, continued Reni, "The stimulus came from Putri who told about the abuse she had experienced. Sambo then accepted and believed in this stimulus as a whole and considered it a form of humiliating the dignity of his person and family.”

Ferdy Sambo reacted strongly, in accordance with his personality which firmly adheres to the cultural principles of siri na pacce, namely the philosophy of life for the people of South Sulawesi which means maintaining self-respect and being firm in your convictions.

"So, when his self-esteem is disturbed, his honor is disturbed, initially a physiological response and an emotional response appear," he said.

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for publicly harassing his wife, Jada Pinkett. (news.sky.com))

This is evidenced by Ricky's statement. He said he was called upstairs, then he saw Ferdy Sambo's gesture with his hands clenched, his breath ragged, and he cried. Then, Sambo asked, "Do you know what happened to mother?"

“On the one hand, Ferdy Sambo's personality, from the results of the examination, is indeed a person who gets emotional easily. Thus, there are sensitive stories that are accepted and believed. Then, situations that have power relations, 2-star generals, have access to weapons, have subordinates, now this is where emotions then shift to the case situation being tried now," explained Reni.

“So it's regardless of whether the event is true or not. We as psychologists are in an independent, impartial position, not taking sides with anyone. We see it from a psychological examination,” Reni added.

Case Engineering

However, if you look at it from another perspective, such as the engineering of the case, what Ferdy Sambo did is not showing his professionalism as a high-ranking member of the National Police. Moreover, his position at that time was Kadiv Propam, head of the police judiciary.

He did not dare to take direct responsibility for what he called an effort to defend the dignity of his family. He actually damaged the reputation of the Polri institution in the eyes of the public.

In fact, a number of Polri personnel were dragged into the case. A total of 97 people were examined, several of whom received sanctions ranging from demotion to dismissal, and several others became defendants.

This then became one of the considerations for the public prosecutor in imposing a charge on Ferdy Sambo for life imprisonment. "It is not appropriate to do this in his position as a law enforcement officer and senior police officer."

Ferdy Sambo is considered to have tarnished the Polri institution in the eyes of the Indonesian public and the international world.

"There are no mitigating circumstances," said the Public Prosecutor, Rudy Irmawan when reading out the charges before the Chief Justice of the Panel of Judges Wahyu Iman Santoso, at the South Jakarta District Court, Jakarta, Tuesday (18/1).