Complained By Former Convicts To The Ombudsman, Yogyakarta Class II A Prison Officer Admits To Violence

YOGYAKARTA - Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) Budi Argap Situngkir said that the officers of the Yogyakarta Class II A Narcotics Prison admitted that they had committed acts of violence against the inmates.

"Some have admitted based on the results of the examination. They have taken excessive actions, including maybe there was violence," said Budi at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, DIY, as reported by Antara, Thursday, November 11.

However, he has not been able to explain the extent of the violence committed by prison officers against the inmates.

"I can't conclude yet because I didn't immediately join the inspection team. We'll formulate it later because we can't draw conclusions from the reported party or officers alone, we have to prove it with the inmates. It could be that the officers don't confess, but there are inmates. We need time," he said.

According to him, until now the process of examining five Yogyakarta Narcotics Prison officers at the Regional Office of the Kemenkumham DIY is still ongoing.

In addition to being investigated for indications of applying excessive discipline to prisoners, the positions of the five officers have also been temporarily removed. He ensured that strict action would be taken against prison officers who were later proven to have committed violations.

"We convey that what is our commitment, if we make a mistake, we will continue to act," he said.

He said that he had held a meeting with the party reporting the alleged abuse, the Head of the Yogyakarta Class II A Narcotics Prison, Cahyo Dewanto, and a team from Komnas HAM last Thursday.

The reporting parties who were present at the meeting were two former residents assisted by Vincentius Titih Gita Arupadatu and Erza, as well as the accompanying reporter Anggara Adiyaksa. Budi called the meeting an effort to make peace or reconciliation.

He ensured that the meeting would not interfere with the investigation of the alleged abuse case at the prison.

"From the meeting earlier, the Narcotics Prison was committed to improving services that there is no suppression, persecution of inmates, we make sure of that. That the implementation of our coaching will improve even better," he said.

As a form of improvement, according to him, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights will intensively provide directions to all employees of the Yogyakarta Narcotics Prison.

Prison officers were also asked to change the pattern of fostering inmates by adopting a more humane attitude.

"So we have to completely upgrade this again, the mindset must be more humane. Indeed, friends (former inmates) said that it was too tense in Narcotics Prison," said Budi.

A number of ex-convicts of the Yogyakarta Class II A Narcotics Prison complained to the ORI Representatives of Yogyakarta and Central Java on Monday, November 1 about the alleged sexual abuse and harassment they experienced while in the prison.