KPAI coordinates with Bandung Police over death of SMAN 5 student

Jakarta — The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) is coordinating with Bandung Police to oversee the legal proceedings in the case of a deceased student from SMAN 5 Bandung.

“We have urged law enforcement to expedite legal proceedings in accordance with the Child Protection Law Article 59A,” said KPAI member Diyah Puspitarini when contacted in Jakarta on Monday.

“We are currently monitoring the legal process, and criminal elements are quite possible. Whoever is involved, even if they are minors, will be processed according to the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law and the Child Protection Law,” Puspitarini added.

KPAI expressed deep concern over the incident that resulted in loss of life.

“KPAI is deeply troubled by this occurrence. We had warned at the beginning of Ramadan about the potential for disputes amongst students or groups of children, which are quite likely to occur after breaking fast together, evening prayers, or before dawn prayer,” said Puspitarini.

From KPAI’s coordination with police, it is suspected that no direct confrontation occurred between SMAN 5 Bandung students and SMAN 2 Bandung students at that time.

However, the victim allegedly fell after participating in a communal breaking of the fast event.

“The student appears to have been evading a student from SMAN 2, which caused him to fall. The element of group violence is still being investigated, but these students passed through SMAN 2,” said Puspitarini.

Earlier, FA (17), a student of SMAN 5 Bandung, died on Cihampelas Street, Bandung, on Friday evening (13 March).

The fatal incident occurred following the victim’s attendance at a communal iftar gathering.

Bandung Police are continuing to investigate the case, including allegations of assault.