A woman appeared in Dili Municipality Court in February 2016 after hitting her younger sister following a dispute over a house.
According to the facts of the case read by the presiding judge, on 13 August 2014 the accused (MK) – who had previously been living in Australia – asked the victim (AS) to leave her house as she wanted to move back in.
The court heard MK had repeatedly asked her younger sister and husband to leave, but that her sister claimed she had a right to live at the house.
On the afternoon of August 24, the accused went with her husband to see the victim and again told her she must find another place to live because she wanted to live in the house.
The accused then became angry after her sister and husband remained silent and took a chair and hit the victim.
The incident was later reported to police.
After the judge read the facts, the accused told the court that her sister had sold her own home and then moved into her home while she was living in Australia.
“We have the same rights, she had a house, but it has been sold and when I was in Australia she lived in my house,” MK told the court.
The accused told the court she regretted her actions and had since offered some land for the victim to build another house.
“She is my only sister and I am the one who should take care of her and that is why I find a solution to this problem,” she added.
After hearing the accused declaration, the president judge called for the victim to give her statement but, she had nothing to say and agreed with the facts.
After hearing the statements, the President Judge handed down a 12-month suspended sentence, telling the accused not to repeat her behavior again.
