Civil Coalition Demands Criminal Prosecution of Brimob Officer Who Beat Student to Death in Tual
A Civil Society Coalition is demanding that Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officer Bripda MS, the suspect in the fatal beating of a state Islamic secondary school (MTS Negeri) student identified by the initials AT in Tual, Maluku, face criminal charges.
The coalition stated that the police must pursue law enforcement against Bripda MS, rather than merely imposing disciplinary sanctions or dismissal.
“This case has tarnished the efforts made towards reform and should warrant serious attention,” the Civil Society Coalition said in a statement on Sunday (22 February).
The coalition called on the National Police Chief to pay special attention to the case, particularly for the victim and his family, whilst also directing all police officers to maintain professionalism as a civilian police force.
Furthermore, the coalition demanded that law enforcement in this case be conducted transparently, ensuring the victim and his family receive justice.
“We urge the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) to oversee and monitor the legal process against the perpetrator and ensure the victim receives justice,” it said.
The coalition also stated that this case demonstrates the persistence of a strong militaristic culture within the Police, which is prone to leading to arbitrary actions or abuse of authority.
“In light of this incident, police reform should be continuously pursued and the transformation of the culture of violence should serve as a benchmark for the success of improvements within the National Police,” they said.
The incident claimed the life of the school student identified as AT, allegedly at the hands of Bripda MS. Video footage of the assault went viral on social media, showing AT suffering from bleeding before ultimately succumbing to his injuries.
Bripda MS has been named a suspect by the Tual Police and was immediately detained at the Tual Police detention facility following a case review on Friday evening (20 February).
In the fatal assault case, Bripda MS has been charged under multiple articles.
The first is Article 35 in conjunction with Article 14 of the amendment to Law Number 23 of 2002 on Child Protection, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.
Bripda MS has also been charged under Article 474 paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code, carrying a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has also spoken out on the case. He stated that the ethical and criminal proceedings against Bripda MS are ongoing and will be conducted transparently and accountably.
“The process is currently underway. I believe we will be transparent about such matters,” Listyo said in Purwakarta, West Java, on Saturday (21 February).
The Civil Society Coalition comprises a number of civil society organisations including Imparsial, KPI, the Human Rights Working Group, Centra Initiative, Raksha Initiative, DeJuRe, and the Indonesian Risk Centre.