High school student killed in N. Jakarta street fight

JAKARTA (JP): Another senior high school student was killed yesterday during a street fight in North Jakarta, raising the death toll from student brawls to eight in less than two months.

Irwanto, 16, a first year student of the private Ristek technical high school in Cakung, East Jakarta, died from severe head and back injuries.

His father, Sariana, said a group of students from another school attacked Irwanto at 6 p.m. on Tuesday when the teenager was on his way home from school after attending a practical lesson.

Sariana, an employee of shipping company PT Urun Karsa Segara, said his son and some school friends hitched a ride in a truck, which was heading to Tanjung Priuk harbor. They were dropped off on Jl. Cakung Cilincing.

But when Irwanto and his friends were about to board a public minivan to go home, at least 20 students of Bhayangkara technical high school ran across the street and attacked them, Sariana said.

His friends managed to run away, but Irwanto fell down and he was mobbed by the gang of students, Sariana quoted Irwanto's friends as saying.

"(At first), his friends told us that my son fainted on the street but they didn't mention anything about a fight," he said.

"When we got there, police officers from the Cilincing subprecinct had already been at the scene."

Irwanto was in a critical condition so the police rushed him to Koja hospital. He was later transferred to the Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital in Central Jakarta at 10 p.m.

His mother, Jarsen, who lives on Jl. Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta, said Irwanto passed away at 12 a.m., just one hour before doctors planned to operate on him.

Doctors said he was severely beaten with a block of wood which caused cerebellar bleeding and bruises all over his back, Sariana said.

"As far as I know he didn't have any enemies and I always remind him to stay away from any street brawls."

Unlike his elder brothers, who quit school after graduating from junior high, Irwanto insisted on continuing his education, he said.

"I was forced to work overtime to get extra money to send him to the school."

"However, he has died and we haven't even finished paying the school fees," he said, holding two schools badges from Irwanto's shirt pocket.

Jarsen said that Irwanto, the fourth son of eight, was very persistent and a hard worker.

While at junior high school, he used to sell fish with his uncle on Sundays at Muara Baru, North Jakarta, and sometimes helped his aunt who owned a compact disc rental shop.

"If he wanted to buy something, he would work hard for that," she said.

"He knew his parents' poor condition. He even gave me money for his younger sisters," she said, admitting that it was very hard to raise eight children on the small amount of money her husband earned.

Sariana said police wanted to examine the body as part of its investigation.

"It's all up to the police as they said their investigation will prove that my son was killed." (04)