The Case Of The Theft Of Jesus Statue At The Maria Immaculata Bangkalan Church Ends In Peace

Bangkalan - Bangkalan Police on Madura Island, East Java has implemented a pattern of resolving cases of theft of statues of Jesus and a number of other valuables at the Maria Immaculata Church in Telang Village, Kamal District with restorative justice.

Restorative Justice is one of the approaches in resolving legal conflicts by holding mediation between the victim and the defendant, and also involving public representatives in general.

"This is a step forward and good in resolving legal cases, hopefully it can be a valuable lesson for all parties," said Bangkalan Deputy Chief of Police, Kompol Andi Febrianto Ali, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, March 21.

He explained that the pattern of legal settlement in a peaceful and family manner occurred when Maria Immaculata's Church withdrew the police report to the Bangkalan Police Headquarters.

"That way, automatically when the LP is revoked, it will legally disappear," he said.

The Deputy Chief of Police said that the theft of Jesus statue at the Maria Immaculata Church, Telang Village, Kamal District, Bangkalan Regency, occurred on February 17, 2024. The perpetrators had the initials MZ and reporters from the Church.

This case, he continued, is an incident that is expected to never happen again on the one hand, and on the other hand, it shows that efforts to create harmony and harmony between religious communities are still well established.

"The church has forgiven the suspect's actions and withdrawn his report, the suspect and his family have compensated for all the losses and damage," he said, explaining.

Meanwhile, the person in charge of the Maria Immaculata Church, Father Purnomo, said that his party had forgiven MZ and hoped for changes in MZ in the future.

"This is part of Pre-Pakkah. It is a guideline for love and forgiveness," he said while attending the restorative justice process at the Bangkalan Police.