Student Attackers Arrested During School Exam in West Jakarta

Police have arrested two vocational school students in connection with a machete attack against a fellow student in Palmerah, West Jakarta. The two suspects, identified by their initials AS and MF, were taken into custody whilst sitting an examination at their school.

“At the moment, only two suspects have been detained; for the others, we will see how the investigation develops,” said Palmerah Police Chief AKP Parman BM Nainggolan on Thursday (11/6/2026).

The pair were arrested on Wednesday (10/6) after being identified as the assailants who attacked a student from another school, identified as F, in the Palmerah area. The arrests followed a review of CCTV footage from the scene that had gone viral on social media.

“These two suspects carried out the assault using a belt and a sickle,” Parman said.

The attack occurred on Tuesday (9/6) morning in Gang T, Jalan Palmerah Barat VI, Palmerah, whilst the victim was on his way to school. The incident began when a group of students riding motorcycles passed through the area. Without any apparent reason, one of the suspects suddenly struck the victim with a belt. This prompted another suspect to swing a sickle-like weapon at the victim, causing a laceration to his right shoulder that required immediate hospital treatment.

“The victim has now received medical treatment, with seven stitches to his right shoulder,” Parman stated.

Preliminary investigations indicate the victim and the two suspects did not know each other. Detectives from the Palmerah Police Criminal Investigation Unit are still probing the motive behind the attack. Police have pledged that legal proceedings will follow applicable regulations, particularly as one of the suspects is classified as a minor, aged under 17.

“The follow-up will be based on the investigation outcomes. The legal process will certainly proceed with reference to the Child Protection Law,” Parman stressed.