Teenager beaten for stealing cassava

JAKARTA: A 14-year-old boy was beaten by a soldier for stealing cassava on his property in Tangerang on Wednesday. The victim was hospitalized for his injuries.

The young boy, Yadi, was beaten by Capt. Mastur after he received reports from his neighbors that on Tuesday the boy stole some cassava from his garden in Babakan village, according to a police officer from the Curuk District Police who requested anonymity.

Mastur came to the boy's house on Wednesday morning, dragging Yadi out of the house and beating him.

"Perhaps the captain was in a state of emotional upheaval and he took it out on the victim," the police officer told The Jakarta Post.

Yadi was then brought to the Siloam Gleneagles Hospital by Mastur's family, but he was soon released after a medical examination.

Yadi's family later admitted him to the Qadr hospital in Kelapa Dua village, where he was treated for bruises and complaints of a headache.

Police said they are unsure whether the case was being handled by the military police. --JP