Investigation into Burning of Three Islamic Boarding School Students in Lombok Escalated
The case of alleged burning against three students at the Rosudatussaulatiyah Al Ibrahimy Islamic boarding school in Sengkol II Hamlet, Aik Darek Village, Batukliang District, Central Lombok, has now progressed to the investigation stage. The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Central Lombok Police found sufficient preliminary evidence to examine the criminal elements in the case.
“The case of alleged child abuse that occurred at a boarding school in Sengkol Dua Hamlet has today been elevated from inquiry to investigation,” said Central Lombok Police Public Relations Head, First Inspector Lalu Brata Kusnadi, to detikBali on Saturday (4/7/2026).
Brata stated that investigators have examined more than 15 witnesses, including the complainant, the boarding school management, a representative from the Central Lombok Ministry of Religious Affairs, criminal law experts, and medical personnel. Based on the results of these examinations, investigators concluded that the case warrants further investigation.
“Based on the evidence, including witness statements, expert opinions, post-mortem results, and medical records, the elements of child abuse have been fulfilled following the case review today,” he added.
Brata acknowledged that the handling of the case has been relatively slow. The incident itself occurred quite some time ago, in December 2025, requiring investigators to make extra efforts to gather evidence.
“Of course, in handling this matter, we must consider the legal aspects and obtain statements from witnesses and experts to proceed. It is not the case that a report is immediately followed by a determination,” Brata explained.
Brata expressed hope that the complainants would soon receive legal certainty now that the case status has been elevated to investigation. He committed to handling the case transparently and professionally.
“This elevation in status is also a demonstration of our seriousness and professionalism in handling the case,” he stated.
However, Brata was not yet able to disclose potential suspects in the case. He urged the public to be patient and entrust the handling of the matter to the police.
Previously, the alleged burning of three students came to light after a video of one of the victims circulated widely on social media. The video, uploaded to a Facebook account, showed a victim crying in pain while displaying burn wounds on several parts of the body that had been bandaged. A family member could be heard attempting to calm the victim, who complained of pain in the body and legs. The incident was subsequently reported to the Central Lombok Police by one of the victims’ parents. The report was filed because the family believed the boarding school and the alleged perpetrator were not taking responsibility for the incident.