Boy jailed for stealing bird

I felt very sad and concerned to read that an almost nine-year-old boy had to spend 52 days in police custody, at Wirogunan prison in Yogyakarta, for stealing a bird worth Rp 4000 (Kompas, June 22, 1995).

At his age, most children don't even take a bath or brush their teeth correctly.

I can't understand how this can happened in a country that is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its independence. We're neither young nor that stupid.

We can't say the arrest is constitutional, if we are living in a modern society. We should change the law instead. People know what can happen to a man if he has had a bad experience during his growing up years. The consequence of this is much more expensive than just a bird. Did they think about that?

There are many things that should be taken care of by the police besides preparing a dossier on a boy for stealing a bird worth only US$2.00, causing him to spend almost two months in jail.

Is this justice? Oh, poor boy!

BUDHI PRABOWO

Jakarta