Two Bullying Suspects Who Electrocuted Child on Lamp Post in Central Jakarta Detained

Police have detained two suspects who bullied a six-year-old boy until he was electrocuted at Taman Kramat, Kramat Village, Senen District, Central Jakarta. One of the suspects is still a minor.

“Both suspects have been detained. One is 17 years old, the other is still a minor,” said Central Jakarta Metro Police Public Relations Head, Iptu Erlyn Sumantri, when contacted on Friday (12/6).

Erlyn stated that the adult suspect is currently in custody. Meanwhile, the minor suspect has been returned to his parents but will still face legal proceedings.

“One is detained, one is returned to his parents but the report is still being processed,” he said.

Head of the PPA-PPO Unit at Central Jakarta Metro Police, Kompol Rita Oktavia, said the incident occurred on Sunday (7/6). Rita explained that the victim and the suspects were playing together at the park at the time. She noted that the suspects and the victim are playmates and neighbours.

“There were already many children there. The suspected perpetrators’ houses are close by, not far, perhaps within the same community unit (RW) as the victim’s family. So, they are indeed playmates,” Rita told reporters on Friday (12/6).

Victim Dragged to Pole and Electrocuted

The two suspected perpetrators then lifted the victim’s body. They swung him and carried him towards a lamp post in the park.

“Eventually, perhaps they already had the intention, they held his hands and feet, then swung him, until his legs were spread apart and he was placed against the middle of the pole,” she explained.

Rita said the suspects then pressed the victim’s feet against the lamp post. At that moment, the victim was allegedly electrocuted and subsequently fell unconscious.

“It seems the tips of his feet were placed on the pole. That’s why we want to find out if, by doing that, they already knew the pole was electrified. The victim then lost consciousness,” she explained.

Afterwards, the suspected perpetrators appeared to panic because the victim had been electrocuted. One of the suspects then pulled the victim away from the pole.

“They panicked, and eventually one of the suspected perpetrators pulled the child away from the pole, and he fell. Then, because he was unconscious, the suspected perpetrator carried the victim back to his house,” she explained.

The police are still conducting a series of investigations into the bullying case. The victim’s condition is now gradually improving.

“We also want to find out whether this pole had an electrical voltage or not. It is suspected that the child was electrocuted, hit by a voltage. So, we are trying to find that out, and also whether these children knew that the pole had an electrical voltage. That is what we want to investigate as well,” she said.