Primary School Student in Pemalang Dies Following Alleged Bullying by Seniors
An alleged act of bullying has resulted in a fatality in Pemalang, Central Java. The victim, Aqib (7), a resident of Kebondalem, Pemalang, died after being treated in hospital for at least nine days following suspected bullying by older students.
“The Criminal Investigation Unit, together with the Pemalang Kota Police, received reports from the community regarding a child who passed away, allegedly due to acts of violence,” stated the Head of Criminal Investigation at Pemolog Police, AKP M. Wildan Umar, during an interview at RSUD M Azhari on Thursday (1/10).
Wildan further noted that the police have obtained initial statements from several witnesses, including the victim’s parents, since Wednesday (30/9). “Today, we are conducting an autopsy on the victim to determine the cause of death,” added Wildan.
The victim’s mother, Diah Indriyanti (36), expressed profound grief over the loss of her third child. She recounted that following the bullying incident, the child became withdrawn and was initially too afraid to disclose the physical abuse he had endured.
The Year 2 student from SDN 1 Kebondalem had been hospitalised at RSUD M Azhari for nine days starting from Thursday (17/9). He was briefly discharged to recover at home for three days before passing away while being transported back to the hospital on Wednesday (30/9) afternoon.
Diah shared that her son’s personality had changed significantly, moving from being cheerful and having a good appetite to being silent and withdrawn. It was only during a medical examination that the child finally disclosed the bullying to the doctor.
According to the victim’s account, the alleged assault occurred during school break hours. Diah noted that she only became aware of the physical abuse recently, observing bruises on her son’s abdomen and legs.
“There were bruises on his stomach and legs, blue and bruised,” she said. She added that during his three days at home, the child complained of abdominal pain and found it difficult to walk, even expressing pain when being lifted.
As his condition worsened, the family attempted to return him to the hospital on Wednesday, but he was pronounced dead during the journey. The family’s hope is that no other child suffers such a fate.
The victim’s father, Nurwandi (43), visited the school to seek an explanation regarding the bullying. He claimed that before his son passed away, the boy pointed to photos of three students—two in Year 5 and one in Year 6—identifying them as those involved. However, his efforts to get clarity from the school have so far been unsuccessful. The family is now calling on the police to uncover the truth behind the alleged violence and to ensure justice is served.