Resolution of car window damage in East Jakarta through restorative justice

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Ciracas Sector Police (Polsek) are opening the resolution of a car window damage case by a city transport (angkot) driver on Jalan Tanah Merdeka, Ciracas, East Jakarta, through the restorative justice (RJ) mechanism. “For now, we will carry out restorative justice. Later, if possible and the victim does not wish to proceed with the report, it can be pursued through mediation,” said the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Polsek Ciracas, AKP Hotma Sinaga, during a press conference at Mapolsek Ciracas, East Jakarta, on Thursday. According to Hotma, mediation between the perpetrator and the victim can proceed as long as both parties agree to reconcile. Polsek Ciracas is committed to prioritising a humane legal approach in handling the case. However, the final decision remains with the victim as the reporter. “But if the victim demands it, of course we will process it according to the applicable law,” Hotma stated. The restorative justice approach is the prioritised option, especially since this case is classified as a minor criminal offence and does not involve loss of life. Through this mechanism, the perpetrator has the opportunity to take direct responsibility to the victim, such as compensating for the loss, apologising, and committing not to repeat the act. Meanwhile, the victim can consider resolution without a court process. The incident that drew public attention occurred on Tuesday (21/4) around 10:00 WIB. The event stemmed from a traffic violation by the Depok–Kampung Rambutan route angkot (T-19). The situation then escalated into a chase on the road. The tension peaked in front of a shopping centre in the Tanah Merdeka area, when the angkot blocked the victim’s vehicle. At that location, a verbal altercation ensued. One of the perpetrators then got out and, without further ado, immediately smashed the car window until it broke. Based on the investigation results, the police successfully identified two suspected perpetrators with initials IK (31) and P (32). Both were known to be driving a red Daihatsu Grand Max vehicle with licence plate B 1076 QO. The arrest was carried out by the Polsek Ciracas Criminal Investigation team in the area in front of RSUD Pasar Rebo while the perpetrators were driving the vehicle. From the initial examination results, the police confirmed there was no indication that the perpetrators were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The action was purely triggered by emotions due to the road dispute. For their actions, the perpetrators are charged under Article 521 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code or Article 406 of the old Criminal Code regarding damage, with a maximum prison sentence of six months or a fine of up to Rp10 million.