House Commission X Chair Condemns Brimob Violence That Killed Student in Maluku
Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives Commission X Chair Hetifah Sjaifudian has condemned the violence perpetrated by a mobile brigade (Brimob) officer in Tual, Maluku, which resulted in the death of a junior secondary madrasah (MTs) student.
As chair of the commission overseeing education affairs, she viewed the incident as both a humanitarian tragedy and a stark rebuke of the state’s efforts to protect children and guarantee the safety of students.
“Violence by security personnel against civilians, particularly against a child who is still a student, cannot be justified under any circumstances,” she said in a statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.
She stressed that schools and public spaces must serve as safe environments for children to grow and learn. Repressive actions resulting in loss of life not only wound the sense of justice but also erode public trust in state institutions.
To that end, she called for legal proceedings to be conducted transparently, objectively and firmly through both criminal mechanisms and the enforcement of the code of ethics against the Brimob officer in question.
“There must be no impunity for violations that result in death. Under the national criminal law framework, assault causing loss of life carries serious consequences and must be enforced without compromise,” she said.
She also urged a comprehensive review of the training, oversight and standard operating procedures governing the use of force by security personnel, particularly in interactions with civilians and children.
She conveyed her deepest condolences to the victim’s family and called on all relevant parties to oversee the handling of this case and similar cases through to completion, in the interest of justice and the protection of Indonesian students.
The Tual Police in Maluku have named a Brimob officer identified by the initials MS as a suspect in the alleged assault that led to the death of a child identified as AT (14).
“The investigative process has now been escalated from preliminary inquiry to full investigation, and the status of First Class Private MS has changed from reported party to suspect,” said Tual Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Whansi Des Asmor, contacted from Ambon on Saturday (21 February).
The incident began when a Brimob patrol was conducting a security operation using a tactical vehicle in the Tual City and Southeast Maluku Regency areas in the early hours of Thursday (19 February).
The patrol was initially stationed at the Mangga Dua Complex in Langgur until approximately 02:00 Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT), before moving to Fiditan Village in Tual City after receiving a report from residents regarding an alleged assault near the Tete Pancing area.
Upon arriving at the location, First Class Private MS and several other officers dismounted from the vehicle to secure the area. Approximately 10 minutes later, two motorcycles approached at high speed from the direction of Ngadi towards Tete Pancing.
First Class Private MS reportedly swung a tactical helmet as a signal. However, the helmet struck the right temple of AT, causing the victim to fall from his motorcycle face down.
The victim was rushed to Karel Sadsuitubun Regional General Hospital in Langgur for medical treatment. However, at 13:00 WIT, the victim was pronounced dead.
First Class Private MS has been charged under Article 76C in conjunction with Article 80 paragraph (3) of Law Number 35 of 2014 on Child Protection, carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
In addition, the suspect has also been charged under Article 466 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the National Criminal Code, relating to assault causing death, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.