The Maria Hertogh riot happened on 11 December 1950 and lasted for three days. This happened after the court decided that Maria, who had been raised by the Muslims should be returned to her Catholic parents, who are her biological parents. The muslims, outraged by the prejudice against them, made a scene out of it and started the riot to show their displeasure over the unfair outcome. The riot in Singapore lasted till noon, on 13 December, 1950. In this three days, 18 people were killed and 173 people were injured. Many of the residents' houses were badly damaged.
So here's the timeline for the Maria Hertogh riot!
1950 : The Hertoghs filed a lawsuit in the courts of Singapore, seeking to assert their parental rights over Maria.
22 Apr 1950 : The court ruled that Maria should be returned to her biological parent after a period of care under the Social Welfare Department.
28 Jul 1950 : Maria was returned to Aminah after the latter appealed against the decision. Shortly after, Maria married a 22-year-old Malay teacher.
13 Nov 1950 : The Hertoghs appealed the decision and the courts ruled in their favour on the basis that Maria was removed from them without their consent. Upon her return to her biological parents, the court further ruled that Maria should be subject to Dutch laws where it was illegal for minors below the age of 16 to be married. Hence, Maria's marriage was declared null and void and she was placed in protective custody at a Catholic convent, the Girls' Home of the Convent of the Good Shepherd, prior to her return to the Netherlands.
11 Dec 1950 : An appeal hearing for Aminah's case was dismissed leading the waiting crowds outside the courts to riot.
12 Dec 1950 : Maria is flown to Holland with her parents to be reunited with her family.
13 Dec 1950 : Order is restored in Singapore.
Look out for the next post! We're going to talk about what happened after the riot. So keep coming back for more~ ^^v.
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