A man stood trial for slapping in a public space his girlfriend after she called off their relationship.
The incident took place in a morning in July 2015. The accused was waiting for the victim at the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) to accompany her home after her classes. He asked her to return home with him but she refused.
He then held her hand and told her to go home. The victim then told him she wanted to call their relationship off. The accused said he was hurt by that so he slapped her.
The victim’s friends witnessed the action and shouted at him so he would not hit her again. He left to go home after that.
“I was holding her hand so she would get on the motorbike but she refused. She said things that hurt me,” said the accused at the Dili Municipal court.
He told the court he felt bad about his actions and that he was sorry.
After the presiding judge asked the victim to make her statement she said that the accused was an emotional person and that they had been dating for one year. She added that their relationship was volatile and ended up often in fighting.
She had decided to end the relationship with the accused because of his temper.
She added that even though they are no longer together that they remain friends.
“We decided to end the relationship and now we are friends,” she said.
The accused was charged by the Ministry of Public Prosecutions based on Article 145 of the Penal Code to address minor physical assault. It called on the courts to impose a reasonable sentence so the accused never repeat this actions again.
The public defender asked the court to absolve the case even though the accused slapped the victim it was not a grave assault and because he recognised his guilt.
After hearing the declarations from the accused and by the victim, the presiding judge handed a one year suspended sentence to the accused.
