Funeral of Alleged Chicken Thief in Tabanan Marked by Family's Heartbreaking Tears

The funeral of KD, a man who died after being mobbed by a crowd for allegedly stealing a chicken in Tabanan, Bali, was filled with the heartbreaking cries of his family. A viral video on social media captured the victim’s daughter weeping over her father’s body. I Made Sutama, the Perbekel or Village Head of Sidetapa, the victim’s home village, confirmed the tragic event. He stated that the deceased left behind three children; the eldest is already married, while the second child is in the first year of senior high school and the youngest is in the first year of primary school. Sutama expressed his deep regret over the incident that led to the loss of life, arguing that any alleged criminal act should have been handed over to law enforcement rather than being resolved through vigilante action. ‘Mistakes can happen, but a person should not lose their life just because of allegedly stealing a chicken,’ he said. Sutama admitted he was devastated when he collected the body and witnessed the children’s sorrow. Amid the grief, the family has chosen to accept the incident as a tragedy and does not plan to take legal action regarding the mob attack that caused the death. According to police information, the victim was allegedly caught stealing a fighting rooster belonging to a resident. Sutama stressed that violence leading to death cannot be justified and reminded the public that Indonesia is a country governed by law. He urged the public to hand over anyone suspected of a crime to the police immediately, rather than resorting to mob violence that could result in fatalities. The mob attack occurred in the early hours of Friday, 24 July, at around 1:30 AM Central Indonesian Time. Police are not only investigating the alleged chicken theft but are also probing the mob attack that led to the suspect’s death, with officers currently examining witnesses and the entire sequence of events.