Vocational Students Arrested During Exam for Machete Attack on Fellow Student in Palmerah
Police have apprehended two vocational students, identified by the initials AS and MF, while they were taking an exam at their school on Wednesday (10/6) in connection with the slashing of a student from another school, identified as F, in the Palmerah area of West Jakarta.
Palmerah Police Chief AKP Parman BM Nainggolan stated that the arrests were made after investigators analysed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the crime scene, which had gone viral on social media.
“For now, only two perpetrators have been detained; the involvement of others will depend on the progress of the investigation. These two perpetrators carried out the assault using a belt and a sickle,” Parman said in Jakarta on Wednesday (10/6).
The assault occurred on Jalan T, Palmerah Barat VI, Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Tuesday (9/6) morning, while the victim F was on his way to school.
Parman explained that the incident began when a group of students riding motorcycles passed through the location. Allegedly without any clear reason, one of the perpetrators suddenly hit the victim with a belt. This action triggered another perpetrator to swing a sharp weapon, a sickle, at the victim. As a result of the indiscriminate attack, the victim F suffered a laceration on his right shoulder and was immediately taken to hospital.
“The victim’s current condition is that he has received medical treatment with seven stitches to his right shoulder,” said Parman.
Based on preliminary investigation results, police stated that the victim and the two perpetrators did not know each other. As of now, criminal investigators at the Palmerah Police are still investigating the motive behind the attack.
Because both perpetrators are minors, police have confirmed that the legal process will proceed in accordance with applicable regulations.
“The follow-up will depend on the investigation. Of course, the legal process will be conducted with reference to the Child Protection Law,” Parman emphasised.
Separately, Palmerah District Head Febriandi Suharto addressed the clause regarding sanctions involving the revocation of the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) for the two vocational students who have been arrested by police.
He stated that the potential revocation of the KJP would be carried out based on relevant regulations and the results of the police investigation.
“In accordance with existing regulations, there is indeed a clause stipulating that local government education assistance programmes may be discontinued in relation to unacceptable behaviour,” Febriandi said.
Febriandi explained that the administrative sanction of revoking the educational aid would later be recommended directly by the school of the two perpetrators. However, this recommendation can only be issued after official investigation results are received from law enforcement officials.
“However, it is certainly according to the applicable rules. The recommendation will later come from the school based on the assessment conducted by our colleagues from the police,” he said.
In addition to highlighting the KJP revocation sanction, Febriandi revealed that this violent incident occurred amidst a reduction in teaching and learning activities ahead of the school holidays. According to him, the large amount of unstructured free time among students is a factor that must be anticipated.
“The free time of our children, our younger siblings, this is what we need to anticipate together so we can prevent incidents. Together with the Education Agency in the coming days, we will try to reach out to schools to provide guidance,” Febriandi said.