Parent's Bomb Hoax at South Jakarta School Disrupts First Day, Suspect Named

A man identified by his initials MY, 34, has been named a suspect after sending a bomb threat to SDN Srengseng Sawat 15 Pagi in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, on the first day of the new school term, claiming he did it merely as a prank. The threat was sent via WhatsApp on Monday morning as students were preparing for a flag ceremony, with the message warning that the school would explode within minutes and that explosives had been placed at 11 locations. The message caused panic among students and parents, leading to the immediate dispersal of the Masa Pengenalan Lingkungan Sekolah (MPLS) orientation activities. Police, including the Gegana bomb squad and Densus 88 counter-terrorism unit, conducted a thorough sweep of the school and confirmed no explosives were found. The suspect, who is a parent of a student at the school, was arrested within 24 hours and has been charged under Article 601 of the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence ranging from three to 20 years or life imprisonment for acts intended to cause widespread terror. During initial questioning, the suspect claimed he was burdened by online loan debts, though police stated this did not explain his actions and he is now undergoing a forensic psychological evaluation. The school’s headmaster confirmed that MPLS activities resumed normally the following day, with trauma healing sessions conducted for students, parents, and teachers in cooperation with the Metro Jaya Police and the Indonesian Psychology Association.