High school student killed in N. Jakarta street fight

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)