Brimob Commander Apologises After Officer Beats Student to Death
National Police Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) Commander Commissioner General Ramdani Hidayat has apologised for the assault carried out by a Maluku Regional Police Brimob officer identified as First-Class Private MS against a 14-year-old student with the initials AT, which resulted in the boy’s death.
“On behalf of myself and the Brimob Corps leadership, I extend our deepest apologies over this incident and convey our profound condolences to the family of the late Arianto Tawakkal. May he be accepted by Allah SWT, may his sins be forgiven, and may the family he leaves behind be granted patience and acceptance,” Ramdani told reporters on Monday (23 February).
Ramdani stated that the criminal case has now been taken over by the Maluku Regional Police to ensure a swifter and more transparent process. He stressed that his institution would not tolerate violations committed by its members.
“We do not tolerate violations by our members. The legal process and firm, strict sanctions are entirely appropriate,” he said.
Furthermore, Ramdani said his office would continue to evaluate every duty carried out by its personnel, including the use of force by officers.
“We will continue to carry out evaluations of every activity, including directives and guidance on the use of force and equipment in the context of serving the public,” he concluded.
Tual District Police have named Brimob Company 1, Pioneer Battalion C member First-Class Private MS as a suspect in the assault that caused AT (14), a student at MTS Negeri Maluku Tenggara (a state Islamic secondary school), to die.
The incident began when a Brimob patrol was conducting a security operation using a tactical vehicle in the Tual City and Southeast Maluku Regency areas in the early hours of Thursday (19 February).
The patrol was initially stationed at the Mangga Dua Complex in Langgur until approximately 02:00 Eastern Indonesian Time, before moving to Fiditan Village in Tual City after receiving a report from residents about an alleged assault near the Tete Pancing area.
Upon arriving at the location, the suspect and several other officers dismounted from the vehicle and secured the area. Approximately 10 minutes later, two motorcycles were travelling at high speed from the direction of Ngadi towards Tete Pancing.
The suspect reportedly swung a tactical helmet as a signal. However, the helmet struck the right temple of the victim, AT (14), causing the boy to fall from his motorcycle face down.
The victim was rushed to Karel Sadsuitubun Regional Hospital in Langgur for medical treatment. However, at 13:00 Eastern Indonesian Time, he was pronounced dead.
For his actions, MS has been charged under Article 35 in conjunction with Article 14 of the amendment to Law Number 23 of 2002 on Child Protection, as well as Article 474 paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code.