KNPI Chairman Attacked One Day Before Being A Witness For Ferdinand Hutahaean, LPSK Asks Police To Step In

The DPP Chairperson of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI) Haris Pertama is suspected of having beaten an unknown person in the Cikini area, Central Jakarta, Monday (21/02/2022) (ANTARA/Personal Documentation)

JAKARTA - The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) regrets the abuse against the General Chair of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI) Haris Pertama and encourages the authorities to immediately reveal the motive for the persecution.

"We believe that the police are able to uncover the perpetrators and find out the motive for the persecution," said LPSK Deputy Chair Edwin Partogi Pasaribu in a statement received in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, February 21.

The abuse took place a day before the person concerned was summoned as a witness in the hate speech case with the defendant Ferdinand Hutahaean at the Central Jakarta District Court, Tuesday, February 22.

Edwin urged the police to immediately reveal the abuse case. Moreover, persecution takes place in public spaces.

KNPI Chairman Haris Pertama was beaten by an unknown person (OTK) while trying to eat at Cikini, Central Jakarta, Monday. He admitted that he was beaten by more than three people using a blunt object while getting out of the car.

Early last year, to be precise in February 2021, the General Chair of KNPI Haris Pertama also briefly revealed that he felt terrorized by an unknown person, after he reported Permadi Arya alias Abu Janda to the Police Criminal Investigation Unit. At that time, LPSK invited Haris to apply for protection to LPSK.

“Today, the persecution of Haris occurred exactly the day before he became a witness at the Central Jakarta District Court for the hate speech case. We leave it to the authorities to reveal the perpetrators and the motive for the persecution that befell Haris, whether it is related to his plan to testify or not," said Edwin.

LPSK, he continued, also opened the door for Haris as a victim to apply for protection to LPSK.

"As a victim (of persecution), Haris has the right to apply for protection to the LPSK. Moreover, until now the perpetrators have not been caught and the potential threat to the person concerned is still open," said Edwin.

Edwin revealed, throughout 2021, applications for protection to the LPSK in cases of violence such as that experienced by the General Chair of KNPI Haris Pertama, the number reached 258 applications, consisting of 79 applications from cases of severe abuse, 117 applications from cases of persecution/violence together, 37 applications from cases of domestic violence, and 25 requests from cases of violence against children.

"Out of a total of 2,181 applications that were registered and followed up in the application review process, more than 25 percent (of 258 applications) were applications submitted by witnesses and/or victims with a violent background," said Edwin.