KPAI Uncovers Sexual Violence Against Ilham, Who Died After Being Beaten in Bantul
The Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) is overseeing the case of the mob attack on Ilham Dwi Saputra (16), a student from Payungan, Ciren, Triharjo, Pandak, Bantul. KPAI states that Ilham was not only beaten but also suspected of being subjected to sexual violence.
This finding was directly conveyed by KPAI Commissioner Diyah Puspitarini. She said the discovery came after meeting Ilham’s family.
“Supervision of the case of a child (16 years old) who died from being beaten in Bantul. KPAI conducted supervision on Thursday, 23 April 2026, meeting the victim’s family in Pandak and the Bantul Police Resort,” Diyah told reporters on Saturday (25/4/2026).
Diyah conveyed that there were 16 findings from the meeting with the victim’s family. One of the latest findings is the suspicion of sexual violence experienced by Ilham.
“There was sexual violence against the child victim, evident from his trousers being pulled down. However, it has not yet been included in charges under the TPKS Law or Article 76E in conjunction with Article 81 of the Child Protection Law,” said Diyah.
Additionally, Diyah mentioned that, based on the victim’s family’s explanation, there were 10 people suspected of carrying out the beating. For information, the police have so far only arrested two perpetrators of the beating.
“The family believes the number of torture perpetrators is 10 people, differing from the police statement of seven perpetrators,” said Diyah.
Here are the KPAI findings:
The victim’s family has not received legal assistance, so KPAI is providing legal accompaniment efforts.
The family stated that the child was picked up after 9:00 PM by a friend and taken to a shop, and sometime later picked up by friends riding three on a motorbike and taken to the Gadung Melati field in Pandak.
The victim was tortured by his friends using hoses, ropes, scissors, sticks, until run over by a motorbike three times from bottom to top repeatedly. There were cigarette burn wounds and the ear nearly cut off. The torture lasted nearly three hours or more.
IDS was taken by a friend who saw it to the hospital; the family met the victim around 2:00 AM. Subsequently, for intensive care, the child victim was taken to RS PKU.
The child was autopsied and treated in the ICU until he breathed his last on Thursday, 16 April.
The family believes the number of torture perpetrators is 10 people, differing from the police statement of seven perpetrators.
The family feels intimidated; the commissioner also personally saw suspicious movements by two people near the victim’s home.
The family, especially the mother, has not received psychological accompaniment. In cases of deceased children, the family, especially the mother, must receive psychological accompaniment.
The child victim has not been autopsied, and even the police did not offer this option. However, for unnatural child deaths, the police are obliged to offer an autopsy option.
The police are charging the perpetrators under Article 76C in conjunction with Article 80 of the Child Protection Law. However, in this case, there are elements of kidnapping, premeditated murder, and repeated murder under the new Criminal Code, as well as sharp weapons. Thus, the charges and demands could be heavier.
KPAI regrets the slow handling because only two perpetrators have been arrested, while there are seven versions of perpetrators from the police and 10 from the victim’s family.
In special child protection cases, it should be based on Article 59A of the Child Protection Law: 1) the process must be fast, 2) must receive psychological accompaniment, 3) receive social assistance, 4) legal protection.
The family will request protection from the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) due to intimidation.
For law enforcement officials to process this case quickly and prevent such incidents from recurring. As a note, there was an incident in 2023 where a child died, and some perpetrators were only arrested several months later.
Considering the rights of the deceased child to obtain clarity on his death and avoid negative stigma.
There was sexual violence against the child victim, evident from his trousers being pulled down. However, it has not yet been included in charges under the TPKS Law or Article 76E in conjunction with Article 81 of the Child Protection Law.