Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police are investigating the death of a 14-year-old three-in-one jockey, who allegedly died as a result of being beaten by public order officers during a raid Monday in Pakubuwono, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
Kebayoran Baru Police chief Comr. Agus Risendi said Thursday detectives had questioned 11 witnesses, including the nine public order officers who carried out the routine raid.
The public order officers told police they had caught 14 jockeys from the South Jakarta area, all of whom were sent to the city-run social rehabilitation center in Kedoya, West Jakarta.
Irfan Maulana, who was soliciting rides in the three-in-one area, died on Dec. 8. His body was taken to a community health center. He had not been carrying identification and was transferred to Cipto Mangunkusama Hospital as a ""John Doe"".
Three days later, Irfan's brother, Muhammad Haris, 30, traced him to the hospital after hearing rumors of the body of a three-in-one jockey lying in its morgue.
He was shocked to see bruises around his dead brother's mouth and his hair caked in dried blood. He took a photograph of the body and reported the case to police.
However, police said that according to the doctor at the health center, Irfan did not have any fresh bruises. ""The only marks on his body were 'old' cuts on his face. He was also foaming at the mouth,"" Agus said.
Police also said the public order officers that arrested Irfan that day said he looked unsteady on his feet and could not walk in a straight line.
""They said they didn't have any difficulty making the arrest and denied assaulting the boy,"" he said.
According to the public order officers, Irfan had suffered a fit in their car.
Agus showed a picture of Irfan, just minutes after his death. In that picture, no bruises were visible.
He presented a second picture of the boy's body three days later. It was starting to decompose. ""After three days, the human body starts to break up. He was an unidentified person; perhaps his body was not put in a freezer,"" he said.
However, a different version of events was told by eye-witnesses 17-year-old Gustian and 14-year-old Muhammad Sofyan.
The two were among the jockeys arrested that day.
Gustian said he saw three or four officers hitting the boy in the face and abdomen. Irfan had struggled to get away, biting one of the officer's fingers.
Jakarta Public Order Agency deputy head R. Sitindjak denied the allegation.
He said Irfan had epilepsy.
However, Irfan's mother, Sutihat, said he was not an epileptic. His friends added that they had never known him to be sick.
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