Indonesian mother forgives teen suicide bombers who killed her sons: ‘they were victims, too’

Wenny Angelina Hudojo’s heart was broken after an Isis-linked church bombing killed her sons, but she doesn’t blame the teenagers who blew themselves up

They were carrying out orders from their father, a trend analysts say is likely to repeat as militants see benefits in keeping plans in the family and being martyred together

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Wenny Angelina Hudojo and her two sons, who were killed in the 2018 church bombing in Surabaya. Photo: Handout

Amy Chewin Kuala Lumpur

Published: 9:00am, 12 Sep 2021Updated: 6:10pm, 17 Sep 2021

Wenny Angelina Hudojo’s older child Evan would have turned 15 this year, celebrating his birthday with mum, dad and younger brother Nathan at their home in Surabaya, Indonesia.

But the occasion on August 29 was marked with prayers and flowers set on his grave, three years after Evan and Nathan’s lives were cut short in an Islamic State-linked church bombing.

“Happy birthday in heaven to my angel Evan. Always be happy with Nathan in heaven,” Wenny wrote in an emotional message on Instagram.

She uses her account to share precious memories and photographs of her smiling, happy boys, but in so doing, she is also reliving her anguish.

I can never hold or hug them again

Wenny Angelina Hudojo

Wenny told This Week in Asia she could not hide the fact that she was still “100 per cent sad”.

“How can a mother not feel sad over the loss of her children? I can never hold or hug them again,” she said.