Social Affairs Minister Responds to Fatal Mob Attack on Suspected Chicken Thief in Bali

Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, also known as Gus Ipul, has spoken out regarding the case of a man with the initials KD who died after being beaten by residents in Bali on suspicion of stealing a fighting cock.

Gus Ipul said the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) had visited and held a dialogue with the man’s family. However, he stressed that they could not hold lengthy discussions as the family was still in mourning.

“The Ministry of Social Affairs team has visited the funeral home and spoken with his parents. But we understand they are still grieving, so we could not talk at length,” Gus Ipul said when met at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Tuesday (28/7).

He revealed that the family belongs to the second-poorest decile group and are recipients of social assistance (bansos) as well as the Health Insurance Premium Assistance programme (PBI JK).

The ministry is currently studying the family’s profile and will provide assistance according to the results of the assessment, including psychosocial support.

“So, we are studying their profile. We will update the data together with the BPS (Statistics Indonesia). We will also provide psychosocial accompaniment and any assistance needed based on the assessment,” he said.

Gus Ipul offered for KD’s child to attend a Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School), as the family meets the requirements. However, his side will wait until the family’s period of mourning has passed.

“We have also offered, should they be willing, for the child to study at a Sekolah Rakyat, because they do meet the criteria. So there are several options, but we are still waiting for the mourning period to end before holding further dialogue. In principle, we want to provide support according to the family’s needs,” Gus Ipul said.

Previously, a man with the initials KD died after being beaten by residents in Banjar Dinas Juwuk Legi, Batunya Village, Baturiti District, Tabanan Regency, Bali, on suspicion of stealing a fighting cock.

Head of Public Relations at Tabanan Police, Iptu Ni Luh Putu Wiwik Endrayani, said the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday (24/7) at around 01.30 WITA.

“The suspect was caught by residents while allegedly stealing a chicken belonging to a local resident,” Iptu Wiwik said on Sunday (26/7).

She said the police are currently investigating the suspected chicken theft and will probe the mob attack that led to the suspect’s death.

“Investigators are still questioning witnesses and examining the entire sequence of events, including identifying the suspect,” she added.

During the incident, residents not only beat the suspect to death but also burnt the motorcycle he was riding. The owner of the stolen chicken has been identified as IWS (31), a resident of Banjar Juwuk Legi, Batunya Village, Baturiti District.

The suspected theft angered residents because chicken thefts had occurred frequently in the area.

“Residents had long complained about losing poultry in the area, so when the perpetrator was caught red-handed, the situation immediately escalated,” she said.

The mob beat the suspect until he lost consciousness. By the time officers from Baturiti Police Station arrived at the scene at around 02.00 WITA, the suspect was already dead.

Police also found several items believed to be related to the theft. They secured one chicken belonging to the victim, a machete, and a bag containing pliers, a slingshot, stones and some cash believed to belong to the suspect.

Meanwhile, the motorcycle used by the suspect could not be secured as evidence as it had been burnt by residents before police arrived at the scene.

For investigative purposes, the body was evacuated to Semara Ratih Hospital. The Inafis team from Tabanan Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit has processed the crime scene and carried out fingerprint identification.

“Police have taken statements from the victim and witnesses around the crime scene to examine the chronology of the theft and the background of residents’ frustration,” she said.