MP describes police assault on teenager in Tual as brutal act

Jakarta (ANTARA) — Member of Commission III of the House of Representatives Rudianto Lallo has described the assault carried out by a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officer with the initials Bripda MS against a child with the initials AT (14), resulting in the victim’s death, as a brutal act.

He said that Bripda MS’s actions had deeply tarnished the reputation of the National Police’s Mobile Brigade Corps. He therefore urged that criminal accountability must follow.

“It should not merely be an ethical sanction — an ethical sanction that may lead to dismissal — but after dismissal there must be criminal accountability because the child lost his life, and this incident has truly wounded the sense of justice,” Rudianto said when contacted from Jakarta on Sunday.

He stated that Bripda MS must be prosecuted through the civilian courts. According to him, no party should tolerate such actions, as state apparatus is fundamentally meant to protect, shelter and serve the public — not the opposite, as Bripda MS had done.

“Firm measures must be taken against the individual concerned so that such incidents beyond our comprehension do not recur. Whatever the reason, taking a life and committing violence cannot be justified in any way whatsoever. That is our hope,” he said.

According to the chronology provided by the police, the incident began when a Brimob patrol was conducting a security operation using a tactical vehicle in the areas of Tual City and Southeast Maluku Regency in the early hours of Thursday (19 February).

The patrol was initially stationed at the Mangga Dua Complex in Langgur until approximately 02:00 Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT), then moved to Fiditan Village in Tual City after receiving a report from residents regarding an alleged assault near the Tete Pancing area.

Upon arriving at the location, the suspect and several other officers alighted from the vehicle and carried out security measures. Approximately 10 minutes later, two motorcycles were travelling at high speed from the direction of Ngadi towards Tete Pancing.

The suspect reportedly swung a tactical helmet as a signal. However, the helmet struck the right temple of the victim AT (14), causing the victim to fall from the motorcycle in a prone position.

The victim was rushed to Karel Sadsuitubun Regional General Hospital in Langgur for medical treatment. However, at 13:00 WIT, the victim was pronounced dead.