Three men in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), who tortured\nand burned an owl alive in a video that went viral on social media, are\nfacing multiple criminal charges. The suspects, identified by their\ninitials GJ (30), SB (41) and VJ (25), are from Kampung Bajak, Benteng\nNdope Village, Pacar District, West Manggarai.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor their actions, the alleged perpetrators face multiple charges,\u201d\nsaid West Manggarai Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Lufthi\nDarmawan Aditya on Thursday.<\/p>\n
They face charges under Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning Amendments\nto Law Number 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Biological Natural Resources\nand Their Ecosystems, as well as Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning the\nSecond Amendment to Law Number 11 of 2008 on Information and Electronic\nTransactions (ITE).<\/p>\n
The three men involved in the cruel act against the owl were arrested\non Tuesday afternoon. GJ acted as the executor who captured and struck\nthe owl, SB recorded the video and uploaded it to his social media\naccount, while VJ was the executor who burned the owl.<\/p>\n
Investigators are currently coordinating with the NTT Natural\nResources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) regarding the protected status of\nthe animal. They are also coordinating with prosecutors from the West\nManggarai District Attorney\u2019s Office for further legal proceedings. \u201cWe\nwill also soon hold a case conference to determine the formal legal\nstatus of the alleged perpetrators,\u201d Lufthi said.<\/p>\n
He urged the public to stop acts of cruelty against wildlife and to\nuse social media wisely. \u201cWe emphasise that the law does not provide\nroom for acts of torture against animals, especially those turned into\nsocial media content for fleeting popularity,\u201d he stressed. \u201cWe urge the\npeople of West Manggarai to abandon myths that damage the ecosystem\u2019s\nsustainability and to be wise in using social media.\u201d<\/p>\n
The torture and burning of the owl occurred near Kampung Bajak on 8\nAugust at around 8:00 pm local time. The incident went viral on social\nmedia, drawing widespread public condemnation.<\/p>\n
The incident began when GJ spotted an owl perched on a kitchen pole\nat SB\u2019s house. GJ then called SB and VJ to help catch the bird with\ntheir bare hands before taking it to the front of a kiosk, where they\nburned it alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the location in front of the kiosk, the cruel treatment of the\nanimal began. The alleged perpetrator VJ held both wings of the owl,\nwhile GJ took a small piece of wood and repeatedly struck the owl\u2019s\nhead,\u201d Lufthi explained.<\/p>\n
VJ then lit a fire and burned the owl while it was still alive until\nit was reduced to ashes. During the abuse and burning, SB held a mobile\nphone to record the entire scene. SB uploaded the video of the owl being\nburned to his social media account on 8 August 2026 at around 9:30 am\nlocal time. The post on the Facebook account Lenggeleongwasedeko\nsubsequently went viral, triggering widespread outrage among\nnetizens.<\/p>\n
The video was reposted by the wildlife education account @doniherdarutona<\/span> on\nthe morning of 11 August 2026, drawing national public attention. In the\nfootage, one perpetrator is seen spreading the owl\u2019s wings while a wood\nfire blazes behind him. Another perpetrator then repeatedly strikes the\nowl\u2019s head before the bird is brought close to the fire and burned\nalive.<\/p>\n The motive behind the act was influenced by local superstition. The\nsuspects claimed they acted based on a local myth or belief that the\npresence of an owl near a settlement is a bad omen or a symbol of black\nmagic. \u201cBased on the initial examination, the alleged perpetrators\nadmitted to acting on the local myth or belief that the presence of an\nowl near a settlement is a bad omen or a symbol of black magic,\u201d Lufthi\nsaid. They believed that by burning the owl, the threat of witchcraft\ncould be eliminated.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-men-in-east-nusa-tenggara-face-multiple-charges-for-burning-owl-alive-1786585838",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}