A Student In Rejang Lebong Dies, Police Arrest 9 Minors

REJANG LEBONG - Resort Police (Polres) Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu, arrested nine suspected perpetrators of the murder of one vocational school student. All of the perpetrators are minors.

Rejang Lebong Deputy Police Chief Kompol Yusiady said the murder case against Sandika (17), a resident of Kesambe Baru Village, East Curup District, Rejang Lebong Regency, occurred at a resident's wedding party in Talang Ulu Village, East Curup District, which was carried out by nine suspects who were underage.

"After the incident, officers managed to arrest eight suspects and one other suspect turned himself in. The suspects were arrested on Sunday dawn at around 04.00 WIB at their respective homes," Yusiady said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 23.

He explained that initially his party arrested 10 suspected perpetrators, but after an examination, one person was released because he was not involved in the beating that caused the victim to die.

The nine suspects, he said, included MH (16), a resident of East Curup District, RDS (16) and AI (17) a resident of Selupu Rejang District. Furthermore, PJ (14), BWK (15), AF (16), AA (17), RA (16) and RRD (16) residents of East Curup District.

He said the incident caused the death of 12 stab wounds from a sharp weapon were caused by a misunderstanding between the victim and one of the suspects with the initials BWK.

"The victim fell and coincidentally at that time the suspect BWK was right in front of the victim. Seeing this, the victim accused the suspect BWK of wanting to take a helmet, because the accusation was then BWK called his friends so that a commotion occurred until the stabbing incident occurred," he explained.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Rejang Lebong Police, Iptu Denyfita Mochtar, added that nine suspects in this case of violence against minors were still junior high and high school students.

"For the evidence found by a sharp weapon, the victim's knife and clothes, while other evidence of sharp weapons is still under investigation by officers," said Denyfita.

For his actions, these nine suspects were charged with Article 76C in conjunction with Article 80 paragraph 3 of Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning amendments to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection, with the threat of 15 years in prison and a fine of IDR 3 billion.