Indonesian honour killing: brutal death of schoolgirl Rosmini Darwis, 16, sparks copycat fears

The girl was hacked to death with a machete and wooden log after she revealed she was dating someone, in a case that has shocked the nation

While honour killings are common in the Middle East and South Asia, there has until now been no such reports in Indonesia

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Published: 12:00pm, 31 May 2020Updated: 1:50pm, 2 Jun 2020

Indonesia’s first reported honour killing of a schoolgirl earlier this month has shocked the nation and prompted rights activists to warn of a “contagion” effect amid a rising wave of religious ultraconservatism.

Rosmini binte Darwis, 16, began her day on May 9 just like any other since March, staying at home as her school in Bantaeng, South Sulawesi was shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 16-year-old was not in the best of health – she had been vomiting and suffering from fainting spells for weeks. Her family decided she had been “possessed”, and sent her to a shaman instead of a doctor, police said.

Learning of her illness, Rosmini’s cousin Usman came to pay her a visit – an arrival that marked her for death.

Her eldest brother, Rahman, 30, accused Usman of using black magic on his sister, police said.

Rosmini’s admission that she was in a relationship with Usman further inflamed an already emotionally charged situation. Usman denied the claim.

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