Intellectual Perpetrators of Caustic Soda Attack on Andrie Yunus Can Be Swiftly Identified via CCTV

Josias Simon, a Professor of Criminology at the University of Indonesia, has assessed that the perpetrator of the caustic soda attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus should be identifiable within a relatively short timeframe using Jakarta’s CCTV camera system. Previously, an AI-generated image of the perpetrator circulated on social media.

“Jakarta is a city with a fairly robust surveillance system, including CCTV networks installed at various key locations. Ideally, within a relatively short period, the perpetrator should already be identifiable,” Josias told Media Indonesia on Tuesday, 17 March.

However, he cautioned that the investigation process must not stop at identifying the direct perpetrator, but must also trace the possible existence of intellectual masterminds behind the attack.

“If the investigation aims to uncover the intellectual perpetrators behind the caustic soda attack, additional time will certainly be required. Nevertheless, the process should not be prolonged,” he said.

Josias also highlighted the emergence of public speculation linking the case to the victim’s activities, including content from the podcast produced by the victim.

“This process should not take too long, especially amid growing public speculation linking the case to the content of the podcast created by the victim,” he said.

Based on the pattern of events, Josias assessed that the perpetrator had meticulously planned the attack.

“The perpetrator appears to have prepared the attack carefully, from selecting the location, the method of attack, to the caustic soda used. The perpetrator is also suspected of having observed the victim’s routine and waited for the right moment,” he explained.

He added that with the support of current technology, the perpetrator identification process should be able to be conducted more swiftly through a scientific approach.

“With current technology, scientific identification of the perpetrator should be faster. However, in practical field implementation, the process often faces various obstacles,” Josias said.

On that basis, he emphasised the importance of learning from the handling of similar previous cases so that the investigation of this case can be more effective.

“It is important for authorities to analyse this case by reflecting on the patterns and handling of previous similar cases so that the investigation process can be more effective,” he concluded.