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Jakarta Post

Fugitive patient kills grandfather, injures officer

A mental patient killed his grandfather and severely injured three others, including a police officer, following a family quarrel at predawn Thursday after escaping his mental hospital in Bangli last week

Dicky Christanto (The Jakarta Post)
Denpasar
Mon, March 24, 2008

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Fugitive patient kills grandfather, injures officer

A mental patient killed his grandfather and severely injured three others, including a police officer, following a family quarrel at predawn Thursday after escaping his mental hospital in Bangli last week.

The man, identified as I Nyoman Kandra, 20, is currently being detained at the South Denpasar Police precinct.

The incident took place in Kandra's family house on densely -populated Bangka Street, Denpasar.

Kandra's older brother, I Wayan Kardika, 28, who was among the victims, said before the incident Kandra had been involved in a heated debate with his grandfather, I Made Resep, 80.

He said his grandfather had been angered by Kandra's decision to escape hospital and told him to return to Bangli.

"A few hours later he suddenly turned violent, brandishing an axe and running around the house before assaulting grandfather," Kardika said.

Kandra struck Resep several times with the axe, killing the elderly man instantly. Kandra then turned on his remaining relatives, while neighbors, alerted by the commotion, called the police.

Kandra then attacked his infant nephew, Gde Darsana, slashing the three-year old boy's eyes before turning on Kardika.

When a police officer, Adj. First. Comr. Wayan Berata, tried to intervene, Kandra struck him with the axe too.

Other police officers at the scene threw themselves on Kandra, pushed him to the ground and subdued him.

The injured victims were rushed to Sanglah Central Hospital, where they received intensive treatment for their injuries.

Darsana suffered the most serious injuries, with doctors concluding the axe blow had caused permanent damage to his optic nerves.

"I am now very worried that similar incidents might happen again in the future," Kardika said.

Kandra has managed to run away from his mental hospital at least six times during his two-year treatment period.

"Previously, he only broke glasses when he turned violent. This is the first time he has fatally injured anyone," he said as quoted by beritabali.com.

Kardika said the hospital must tighten its security system to prevent similar incidents.

Kandra escaped the hospital on Monday, Mar. 10., before taking a week to travel the 50 kilometers to his family house in Denpesar.

Head of South Denpasar Police Precinct Adj. Comr. Putu Gunawan said he was unable to charge Kandra with homicide due to his mentally-disturbed person status.

"The Criminal Code prohibits us from detaining and prosecuting a person with a mental disorder, that is why we plan to return him to the hospital," he told The Jakarta Post Saturday.

Putu said Kandra had been very quiet since his arrest.

"Even when he is in his cell, he never talk to us."

He said the police would wait until after the grandfather's burial ceremony before handing Kandra over to his family. The family plan to conduct the burial in two or three days time.

He also said the police would ask the hospital's management to improve security.

A staffer at the Bangli Mental Hospital, identified only as Komang, refused to comment on the escape, saying she was not authorized to make statement on any matter, including hospital security.

She said the official authorized to make statement was unavailable due to an extended Easter holiday.

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