Officers Persuade Teen Hiding in Ceiling in Bantul to Come Down

A teenage boy in Sewon, Bantul, hid in the ceiling of his house to avoid being taken to a children’s rehabilitation centre in Magelang. The head of Timbulharjo village, Anif Arkham Haibar, said he and a community police officer had to repeatedly coax the 15-year-old to come down. The incident occurred on Wednesday, 8 July, when officials arrived at the boy’s home in Bibis, Timbulharjo, at around 7:30 a.m. WIB, only to find he had already climbed onto a wardrobe and into the ceiling space. After taking turns climbing up to persuade him, the boy finally came down about half an hour later after being told his hobby of keeping birds could be pursued at the Sentra Antasena rehabilitation facility in Magelang. Despite this, he still refused to go. Anif then sat with the boy over a cup of hot tea, explaining that the intervention was for his own good and warning that if he continued his behaviour, he might face mob justice from frustrated residents. The boy’s parents had reportedly given up trying to manage his behaviour, and the community had grown increasingly concerned. Although the boy remained unwilling, officials ultimately took him to Magelang for rehabilitation. A social media post by @irvan_mohammed described the dramatic evacuation, noting the boy had dropped out of school in the fifth grade and frequently stole from neighbours. Anif confirmed the boy left school after being caught stealing money and had since stolen millions of rupiah from neighbours. The eldest of two siblings, he lived with his grandparents while his parents worked as a builder and a market trader.