KPAI Classifies Death of Nizam as Filicide, Murder by Own Parents

JAKARTA — A commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Diyah Puspitarini, has characterised the death of a 13-year-old boy named Nizam Syafei from Sukabumi, West Java, as filicide—the deliberate killing of a child by their parents.

Filicide is defined as intentional action committed by parents to murder their own child.

Puspitarini made this statement during a public hearing with Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Monday, 2 March 2026.

“Honourable members of parliament, we state that this constitutes filicide. This is the murder of a child committed by parents, whether biological parents or stepparents,” Puspitarini said during the hearing.

The violence took the form of beatings and slapping. The abuse was perpetrated not only by the stepmother but also by the boy’s biological father.

The KPAI obtained this information after conducting a direct investigation in Jampang Kulon, Sukabumi, and meeting with Nizam’s close family and neighbours.

“We spoke with neighbours and extended family. This has been occurring, particularly intensifying over the past four years,” she said.

During the investigation, KPAI officials asked whether anyone had warned the perpetrators about their actions. The boy’s close family acknowledged that they had warned both the stepmother and biological father, but their warnings went unheeded.

Puspitarini noted that the rate of filicide in Indonesia is considerably high. This occurs owing to the tolerance and normalisation of domestic violence against children within households.

In cases of filicide, Puspitarini explained, there is always a planning element, typically preceded by smaller acts of violence. Consequently, she intends to prosecute the perpetrators under several relevant legal provisions.

“For four years, the child was unable to meet with one parent, and at the KPAI, cases like this rank as the second largest category—obstacles to children meeting their parents, which violates a child’s fundamental right to parental care,” Puspitarini said.