Grandmother in Alor Beaten by Local Residents After Being Accused of Being a Suanggi

An elderly woman identified as MA, a resident of Desa Petleng, Alor Tengah Utara District, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), was assaulted after being accused of being a suanggi (a black magic spirit). The victim was beaten with a wooden stick. The beating video went viral on social media. The Alor Police Chief, AKBP Nur Azhari, said the incident became known to the victim’s family after the video circulated on social media. The family did not accept the way MA was treated by members of the community. The victim’s family subsequently filed a police report at the Alor Tengah Utara Police Sector (ATU). Nenek MA has also undergone a medical examination at Mebung Community Health Centre (Puskesmas Mebung). ‘The victim was examined at Puskesmas Mebung. The police secured two perpetrators from Desa Lembur Barat, initials RB and SF, and took them to ATU Police Station. The perpetrators’ families submitted a request to the ATU Police Chief to have their families placed under ATU’s supervision to avoid dissatisfaction from other victim-family members,’ Azhari said, on Wednesday (4/3/2026). Before the two suspects were secured, around 30 members of the victim’s family from Desa Petleng came to Nurben, Desa Lembur Barat. They questioned the incident and sought the perpetrators. The situation became tense, prompting police intervention to prevent the conflict from spreading. ‘To prevent disturbances to public order, ATU Police Chief Iptu I Wayan Agus Suyadnya and ATU Police personnel, together with the Head of Lembur Barat Village, issued advisories and pledged to pursue the perpetrators, though there remained a sense of dissatisfaction among the victim’s family,’ he stated. The authorities urged youths from Desa Petleng and the Head of Lembur Barat to cooperate to maintain public order. The police also asked the victim’s family to restrain themselves and refrain from retaliation. ‘During the briefing, Police personnel’s commitment to locating the perpetrators was conveyed; families were asked to refrain from taking vigilante action or attacking members of the Lembur Barat community who were not involved,’ he added.