Entangled In The Theft Case, Tanjung District Court Returns 17-Year-Old Teenagers To Parents

JAKARTA - The Tanjung District Court (PN) in Tabalong Regency, South Kalimantan (Kalsel), decided that the defendant in the theft case with the initials AN (17) was returned to his parents after being found guilty, but was not sentenced to prison.

The Public Relations Representative of the Tanjung Rofik District Court, Budiantoro, explained that the victim and the perpetrator's child had reconciled, so the judge decided to impose sanctions on AN's actions by returning them to his parents, and the judge's decision to consider restorative justice.

Rofik revealed that the panel of judges made the decision for the best interests of the perpetrator's child in the hope that the child would be better fostered by the parents.

Sanctions for this action are contained in the Petition of the Tanjung District Court Decision Number: 7/Pid.Sus-Child/2025/PN Tjg including ordering children to be released from custody.

Law Number 11 of 2012 concerning the Juvenile Criminal Justice System (SPPA) itself is a substitute for Law Number 3 of 1997 concerning Child Courts.

Rofik added that the imposition of sanctions in accordance with Article 69 paragraph (2) of the SPPA Law states that perpetrators of child crimes can be subject to two types of sanctions, namely actions for perpetrators of criminal acts who are under the age of 14 and criminal sanctions for perpetrators of criminal acts aged 15 years and over.

For sanctions, actions are regulated in Article 82 of the SPPA Law in the form of returns to parents/guardians, submission to someone.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Banua Branch Legal and Justice Aid Institute Anam Muhammad Irana Yudiartika in Tabalong, Wednesday, said the decision of the panel of judges was in line with the peace between the victim and the AN family.

"We welcome this decision because previously the Public Prosecutor demanded that AN be sentenced to six months in prison at the Martapura Class I Child Special Development Institute (LPKA)," said Irana in Tabalong, Wednesday, as reported by Antara.

Irana explained that cases should be resolved through a restorative justice mechanism (RJ) from the police investigation stage and after being transferred to the prosecutor's office, considering that the victim and the perpetrator's family had reconciled and the losses had been replaced.

Irana revealed that AN did not undergo detention during the police investigation, but the prosecutor's office detained his client from 19-28 September 2025 after stage two.

"Alhamdulillah, our client was finally able to be released and return with his parents. We thank the panel of judges who have decided the case fairly," said Irana.

He also hopes that in the future similar cases can prioritize settlement through the RJ route so that children do not have to feel detention.

Previously, AN and his adult partner with the initials RO were involved in the theft of 14 bags of cement belonging to residents of Mabuun Village.

The stolen goods were transported in rental cars and sold to someone in Jangkung Village, Tanjung District, then the police revealed the actions of the two perpetrators.

At the trial, the prosecutor continued to demand six months in prison at LPKA Martapura, even though AN and the victim had reconciled.