Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Referring to postmortem examination results, a forensic doctor with Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital dismissed Thursday speculations that Irfan Maulana, a 14-year-old three-in-one jockey, died from a beating by public order officers.
""There are no indications of assault on the victim's body,"" Djaja S. Atmadja said.
The autopsy did find indications of gastritis.
However, Indonesian Law Students Association head Ferry Setiawan, who represents Irfan's family, said Wednesday that a source at the hospital told him there had been a mark on the boy's neck, possibly from strangling.
Irfan died on Dec. 8, after being caught during a Public Order Agency raid in Pakubuwono, Kebayoran Baru. He had been soliciting rides in the three-in-one zone. His body was taken to a community health center. He had not been carrying identification and was transferred to the hospital in Central Jakarta as a ""John Doe"".
Irfan's family believes he died after a sustained assault by public order officers as his face was bruised and his hair caked with dried blood when they identified his body at the morgue.
According to Djaja, the bruises on the victim's body were the result of the decomposition process.
He said the results of the postmortem examination done by the hospital had been sent to the Kebayoran Baru Police, who are handling the case.
Kebayoran Baru Police chief Comr. Agus Risendi said no further information would be disseminated until adequate progress had been made in the investigation.
""I will make all the information we have public next Friday, including the details of the postmortem examination results,"" he told The Jakarta Post.
Police have questioned the nine officers who carried out the raid.
Deputy head of the Public Order Agency R. Sitindjak said his subordinates had not assaulted the boy, who had likely died of an epileptic fit.
It is an explanation that Irfan's mother finds difficult to understand because she was not aware her son had epilepsy.
However, two teenage jockeys said they saw three public officers beating Irfan.
The 13-year-old and the 17-year-old made a public appearance Wednesday wearing ski masks to conceal their identities.
The 17-year-old witness said he could identify one of the officers who assaulted Irfan as he frequently picked on the jockeys in the area.
""He wears glasses and has bucked teeth. His name is Nanang,"" he said.
Agus said if evidence of assault was found, the officers would be named suspects.
Fellow three-in-one jockeys and activists from a number of non-governmental organizations, including the Urban Poor Consortium, prayed together at Karet Public Cemetery where Irfan was laid to rest Thursday. They also demanded a thorough investigation into the case to bring the perpetrators of the alleged crime to justice.
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