Mass beatings reflect distrust of law enforces

Mass beatings reflect distrust of law enforces

JAKARTA (JP): An act of violence by a local crowd toward
people caught committing crimes in their area, was a reflection
of the public's lack of faith in the way law enforcers handled
alleged criminals, a criminologist said Saturday.

Harkristuti Herkrisnowo said crowds beat up people they caught
committing crimes because they thought it was their only chance
to punish them, and because criminals caused so many societal
problems.

"They presume that the criminals will soon be back on the
streets because the law enforcers will not punish them severely,"
Harkristuti told The Jakarta Post.

"It's also possible that some people get involved in the
beatings just to vent their frustrations and other personal
feelings toward the system or about their lives," she said.

She was commenting on the number of mob beatings of people
caught committing crimes last week.

Police records show that five alleged criminals were mobbed by
angry people last week in Greater Jakarta alone.

Three beatings took place on three consecutive days starting
Wednesday. Two people were killed in the beatings and others were
hospitalized with serious injuries.

On Wednesday, former athlete Robinson Hutasoit, alias Ucok,
35, was beaten to death by at least 20 people at Klender market
in East Jakarta.

Preliminary investigations show that Ucok had forced traders
to pay him protection money.

On Thursday, Nurahmat, 27, was mobbed for trying to rob a taxi
driver in Kembangan, West Jakarta. He was treated at Al Kamal
hospital in West Jakarta for severe injuries.

And on Friday, unemployed Muhamadiyah, 20, was beaten to death
for attempting to rob a vendor in Lemahabang, Bekasi.

Harkristuti said people's faith in the law enforcers' handling
of criminals seemed to be dwindling because they saw that many
criminals were soon released.

Sometimes police had no choice but to let alleged criminals go
because the was not enough solid evidence to use against them,
she said.

"That has created a presumption within the public that law
enforcers are not handling criminals properly, or as they (the
public) want them to," she said.

"However, this is no excuse for assaulting apprehended
suspects," she said.

Police said that an average of five suspects were mobbed by
angry people each week, and that about two or three people died
at a crime scene every month.

"Compared to our population of about 11 million, that (the
beatings) is nothing in terms of numbers. But, that shouldn't be
a precedent," Harkristuti said.

She said that it was not easy for the police to handle a mass
beating because it created a dilemma.

"On one hand, a mass beating is a crime and perpetrators
should be punished. But, on the other hand, the handover of a
suspected criminal by the public -- even after having beaten the
suspect -- is a big help which should be praised," she said.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang agreed that mass
beatings were against the law and that the people involved should
be punished according to the law.

"We thank people for helping us handle a crime by apprehending
and handing over to us alleged suspects. However, they have no
right to beat someone up just because he is a criminal," he told
the Post.

He said most beatings took place because suspects resisted
locals' attempts to try to stop them, and tried to fight back
with weapons.

He said the police always investigated both the crime
allegedly committed by the suspects, and the subsequent beatings.

He said anyone involved in a beating would be charged under
Article 170 of the Criminal Code on violence.

This article imposes a maximum penalty of five years and six
months imprisonment.

"However, most of the time we find it difficult to nab the
perpetrators because everyone who witnesses the incident seems to
try to cover for the perpetrators," he said. (cst)