STPDN students detained in latest bullying incident

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Two senior students of the Institute of Public Administration (STPDN) in Sumedang were detained by police on Tuesday for bullying, the latest incident at the college that has developed a reputation for violence.

The two youths, both second-year students, were identified by their initials as NS and IS. They were among five students questioned about bullying at the college, Sumedang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yoyok Subagiyono said.

The remaining three students were released.

The five students, all from Aceh, were being questioned in connection with the bullying of a younger student, Ichsan Suheri, 19, also from Aceh, on Oct. 16.

That day, Ichsan was asked to join a group of older students to receive "basic disciplinary training", Yoyok said.

Ichsan was ordered by the group to carry a 38-kilogram barbell (not 20 kilograms as reported earlier) with one hand.

Ichsan could not hold the weight and the barbell fell, hitting the side of his head.

"When he fell down, the victim was beaten instead of being assisted," Yoyok said at the West Java Police headquarters in Bandung.

Ichsan's father, Hanafiah, who is the Aceh West Langsa district military chief, visited his son at the Al-Islam Hospital on Monday in Bandung.

Doctors had found a minor injury behind Ichsan's right ear, Yoyok said.

The two youths could be charged with violating Article 352 of the Criminal Code on assault, which carries a maximum penalty of nine month's jail, he said.

Though NS and IS are being detained for further questioning, so far only NS has been declared a suspect.

Yoyok said IS could also be named as a suspect as he had admitted to inviting Ichsan to the camp. "(However) IS has denied joining the group in beating Ichsan," he said.

Doctors said the bullying caused Ichsan to suffer psychological trauma and he would need a two-month counseling session to recover.

Ichsan was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday in the care of his father, who took him home for counseling in Aceh.

Sudarsono, the Ministry of Home Affairs official who runs the institute, did not meet Ichsan at the hospital.

The institute, which imposes military-style discipline on its students, made headlines last year when broadcaster SCTV aired footage of bullying at the school after the death of a student, Wahyu Hidayat, who was beaten by a group of 20 seniors.

Thirteen STPDN students were jailed for the beating.

Wahyu was not the first victim of student violence at the institute. Three years ago, another student, Erie Rakhman, died after being beaten by seniors.