File Completed, Cilacap Junior High School Student Bullying Case Will Soon Be Tried

CILACAP - Cilacap City Police, Central Java, handed over the case file for bullying to the Cilacap District Attorney's Office because the examination of witnesses, victims, perpetrators, and fulfillment of evidence has been completed by investigators.

Head of Cilacap Police, Police Commissioner Fannky Ani Sugiarto, said that his party had carried out the stages of the investigation process, both following the Child Protection Law and the Child Criminal Justice System Act (SPPA).

"Today, Monday, October 2, 2023, we have transferred the case file stage 1 to the Prosecutor's Office," said Fannky, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, October 2.

According to him, the legislation mechanism, both for treatment assistance and psychological assistance for victims, witnesses, perpetrators, and children's rights in conflict with the law, starting from the examination stage accompanied by their parents, the Correctional Center (Bapas), and the diversion process has been carried out according to the SPPA.

In addition to submitting the case files to the public prosecutor (JPU) at the Cilacap Kejari, he said, the Cilacap Police had simultaneously carried out the "Go To School Program" since last week.

He said the program targets character and morals student coaching in junior high school and high school level as an effort to prevent bullying in the school environment.

"Actually, the school's coaching and assessment program has actually begun to be assessed at the high school level since July 2023 and in November 2023 the results will be announced," said the Police Chief.

In this case, he said, the School Formation Program with Character and Morals became the flagship program of the Cilacap Police by involving other stakeholders such as the TNI and several regional apparatus organizations (OPD) within the Cilacap Regency Government.

According to him, the assessment team has conducted an assessment for the high school level since July which targets students' character and morals with the aim that schools can prevent student groups from committing disgraceful acts and disrupting public security and order (kamtibmas) such as participating in motorcycle gangs.

If the school cannot make prevention efforts, he continued, the assessment team will immediately reduce the initial value that has been given.

"Alhamdulillah, for this matter, it is effective and can pressure our children in high school to join motorcycle gangs. On the other hand, it is true that motorcycle gangs have occurred, the perpetrators of bullying have shifted to the junior high school level," he said.

Therefore, he said, the Cilacap Police, supported by other stakeholders in the future, will conduct an assessment to the junior high school level to address the problem.

In fact, he continued, the Acting Regent of Cilacap Yunita Dyah Suminar also gathered all junior high and high school principals at the Cilacap Regency Hall, Monday (2/10), attended by members of the Cilacap Regency Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda).

According to him, the activity is aimed at supporting the Formation of Character and Moral Students Program in Cilacap Regency by involving local village officials.

He said every junior high and high school, including the elementary school (SD) level, must work together to prevent students, for example through extracurricular activities, village cleaners, or other positive activities.

Thus, he said, all parties contribute to getting to know each other and together preventing incidents of violence by school children outside the school environment.

Related to this, the Police Chief said that community participation is absolutely necessary to assist the school in maintaining and supervising children to be better.

"If you see that there are children gathering at school hours and outside the school, village officials, RT, RW, and the local community must care about disbanding them and giving advice to return home," he said.

The case of bullying that occurred happened to a student from a public junior high school in Cimanggu District, Cilacap Regency, with the initials FF (13) was carried out by two of his older siblings, namely MK (15) and WS (14) who have now been named suspects and charged with Article 80 of the Child Criminal Justice System Law which carries a penalty of 3.5 years in prison and Article 170 KHUP with a threat of 7 years in prison.

Meanwhile, victims of bullying are still undergoing treatment at the Prof. Dr Margono Soekarjo Hospital, Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, although their condition is getting better.