Mob justice is sadly common in Indonesia, but a recent incident saw one of the most frail members of society being roughed up by a group of men after she was accused of stealing money.

According to local media reports, a 50-year-old woman, who was identified by her initials RN, allegedly stole IDR100K (US$7.12) from a seller at the Mandiraja traditional market in Banjarnegara, Central Java on Saturday.

"The [theft] victim realized the culprit had sacked her purse, so the victim hit [RN] and screamed for help," Mandiraja Police Chief Suyit Munandar said yesterday.

In video footage that have gone viral, several angry men then rushed to the scene to confront RN. One man grabbed RN by the back of her neck while screaming at her, before he and the rest of the mob dragged her to the police.

At one point, someone from the mob can be heard yelling, "just kill her!"

At the police station, RN confessed to stealing the money and apologized. She said her husband and child had left the house in their search for limited opportunities amid the pandemic, and that she stole the money as she was desperate for food.

The seller decided not to press charges against RN and the latter was allowed to go home. Police say RN is now required to check in with the police every Monday and Thursday, during which time she will be given staple foods and money for transportation.

Though RN's story had somewhat of a positive resolution, cases of horrific mob violence are not that rare in Indonesia. Stories of alleged thieves being beaten to death have made many headlines in the past (though rarely have they led to arrests or serious punishments for the vigilantes). One of the most brutal incidents in recent years was that of a man who was beaten and burned alive after he was accused of stealing loudspeakers from a mosque in Bekasi, West Java.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/middle-aged-woman-accused-of-stealing-idr100k-roughed-up-by-mob