According to a statement issued yesterday by the Denpasar Police, the incident took place last Thursday at a boarding house in Denpasar. 

“The suspect was offended by a post that the victim uploaded on Facebook, which was perceived as belittling the suspect and therefore angering him,” Josina Lambiombir, who heads the Women and Child Protection Unit (PPA) at the Denpasar Police, was quoted as saying.

As reported by local media, Ariasta and Ayu have been married since 2015. The couple decided to split up through traditional means in June, and has been living separately since. However, they are officially still a married couple.

Ariasta came by Ayu’s boarding house after seeing her post on Facebook, in which she reportedly wrote about divorcees looking good because they can focus on themselves, whereas wives are said to be filthy, wrinkled and disheveled “as it is the effect of husbands not giving them enough money to take care of themselves.”

“When he arrived at her room, he busted open her door and they got into a quarrel. He then took out a knife from his bag and stabbed her twice,” Josina said.

Ariasta then left the room and locked the door from the outside, leaving Ayu to bleed.

Josina said that Ayu is still in critical condition, and the couple’s children – who are four and one-and-a-half years old – are now with Ayu’s parents, as reported by Detik.

Under Indonesia’s Elimination of Domestic Violence Law, Ariasta faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of IDR30 million (US$2,137) for his alleged crime.

Read more news and updates from Bali here.

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