15-month-old girl dies after being beaten against wall

JAKARTA — A 15-month-old child died on Monday after reportedly being struck several times against the wall of her stepfather’s home in Serang Baru, Bekasi, West Java.

The stepfather, identified only as RA, 39, has been arrested and named a murder suspect by local police. The suspect is alleged to have said that he committed the violence because his stepdaughter had disturbed his sleep.

“We learned that RA had eloped with the victim’s mother six days ago. The stepfather was the last person to be with the victim,” said Serang Baru Police spokesperson Adj. Comr. Wito on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com.

“RA admitted that he had bashed the victim’s head against the wall two or three times. He said [the victim] had disturbed his sleep.”

Wito said RA’s confession matched the autopsy result from the Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta, which found that the toddler had died as a result of blunt force trauma, causing massive hemorrhaging of the brain.

The police are still investigating the case.