Indonesian woman accused of ‘nagging’ drunk husband cleared of domestic violence
- Mother-of-two Nengsy Lim, alias Valencya, faced a year in jail after being charged under the domestic violence law, on the grounds she caused psychological harm
- Her ordeal sparked a #savevalencya social media campaign credited with highlighting double standards in the authorities’ interpretation of the law
As the judge acquitted housewife Nengsy Lim, alias Valencya, of a domestic violence charge, the 45-year-old mother of two collapsed amid floods of tears and had to be helped to her feet by her legal team.
Lim had been facing the prospect of a year in prison after she was charged under Indonesia’s domestic violence law. Her crime: allegedly nagging her husband who was, according to her testimony, frequently drunk, thus causing him psychological harm.
The panel of judges, however, sided with Lim when they threw out the case, but things could have turned out very differently had local media and Indonesian social media not latched on to the story.
“It went viral because of attention from the public,” said Zuma, the director of the Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women’s Association for Justice.
“On this occasion we have the media to thank for raising it in the public consciousness.”
