DPR member urges security evaluation at UIN Suska Riau following campus violence
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Habib Syarief Muhammad, a member of Commission X in the Indonesian House of Representatives, has pressed Sultan Syarif Kasim Islamic State University (UIN Suska) in Riau to evaluate campus security measures following a violent incident involving a female student.
“A security standards evaluation is necessary. There should be no gaps allowing anyone to bring sharp weapons into educational areas. Student safety must be the rector’s top priority,” Habib said in Jakarta on Friday.
According to Habib, the evaluation is crucial to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future. He strongly condemned the violent act, emphasising that educational institutions must be free from brutal conduct and must serve as safe spaces for all members of the academic community.
“We condemn the violence that occurred on this campus. Universities should be safe spaces for learning and intellectual exchange, not places of violence causing serious injury to students. Students are educated individuals whose actions should reflect their intellectual capacity,” Habib stated.
Beyond supporting the ongoing legal process at the police department to ensure a deterrent effect for the perpetrator, Habib urged the campus to provide full protection to the victim. He stressed the importance of medical and psychological support to help the victim overcome trauma.
“We call for the perpetrator to be prosecuted firmly. Simultaneously, the victim must receive psychological support to safely continue their education. A campus is a space of civilisation, not violence,” Habib said.
A female student at UIN Suska sustained serious injuries after being hacked with a machete by a fellow student on the campus on Thursday, 26 February. Dimas, another student, recounted that the incident occurred whilst the victim was awaiting her thesis proposal defence in the Faculty of Sharia and Law.
“The victim was waiting for her proposal defence in the Faculty of Sharia and Law office. We were studying in the adjoining room. When we looked out, we saw the perpetrator hacking the victim in front of the office. We did not dare to help because the perpetrator was carrying an axe,” he said.
Campus security personnel subsequently arrived and secured the perpetrator as he attempted to strike the victim again with the sharp weapon.
AKP Anggi Rian Diansyah, head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Pekanbaru Police, confirmed that the perpetrator has been detained at Binawidya Police Station along with evidence including a machete and parang used in the incident.
He explained that the victim received intensive treatment at Bhayangkara Hospital in Pekanbaru for deep lacerations to the head and hands, and is scheduled to be transferred to a hospital with more comprehensive facilities.