A man from southern Indonesia chose an unusual way to deal with his wife’s infidelity. Earlier, he caught his wife cheating on him with her lover. The marriage he built over five years ended after his wife was caught cheating with another man. Instead of getting angry, the man turned to a centuries-old tribal custom.
Instead of taking legal action, the man turned to a local elder of the Tolaki tribe, who is known for his emphasis on peace and community balance. He asked that the matter be resolved through Mowe Sarapa, a traditional reconciliation ritual. She is known for “letting go and making peace”, the South China Morning Post reported.
As part of this ritual, the man handed over his wife to her lover and received a cow and some money in return. This act was not intended as a transaction, but as a symbolic gesture of closure and forgiveness. It also restores dignity between the couple.
The ritual also reflects the Tolakian belief that unresolved conflicts can disrupt social harmony and invite misfortune, the publication said.
During the Mowea Sarapu ceremony, a man and his wife sit together in front of elders, relatives and villagers to apologise. After that, they ended their marriage amicably.
A video of the incident shows a tearful man holding his wife’s lover by the shoulder and saying: “Please take good care of her. Never hurt her. She was never happy with me.”
According to Tolaki custom, the lover offered compensation that included a cow, a piece of traditional cloth, a copper vessel and five million rupees (approximately ₹26,000) in cash, as per SCMP.
The village chief formally dissolves the marriage
The village commander, Safrudin, confirmed that the marriage had been formally annulled. He said both families accepted the result as fate and a lesson.
“This morning we resolved the matter with the traditional Mosehe ceremony. We brought all parties together, including the wife and her lover,” Safrudin told Tribunnews Sultra.
“It is a matter of dignity. The family and relatives of the man agreed to resolve it through traditional means and the ceremony has already taken place. This means that the issue is now completely resolved,” he explained.
“Families have accepted it wholeheartedly and see it as fate and a lesson to become better people,” he added.
According to Tolaki law, a woman can participate in Mowea Sarapa again, but it brings social shame. The rare act garnered huge attention online after a video of the ritual went viral.
Many praised the man’s maturity and compassion. Others insisted that ritual or not, treason is treason.
