B

andung/Makassar

The family of the South Sulawesi Governor’s son, who died after complaining of stomach pains at the Institute of Public Administration (IPDN), have ruled out the possibility of an autopsy, despite that the school has a history of inter-student violence and drug abuse.

Rinra Sujiwa Syahrul, 19, died on Monday on IPDN’s campus.

Andi Darussalam Tabussala, a representative of the family, said South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo believed that his son had died because of a stomach sickness, and therefore did not require an autopsy.

“That is why we refuse an autopsy,” Andi said.

Andi said that Rinra had complained about stomach pain about 10 days before he died, and had visited a hospital outside Sumedang, but returned to campus that Saturday.

A week later Rinra complained about stomach cramp, and on early Monday morning was taken by the IPDN doctor to Annisa Medical Center (AMC) hospital in Cileunyi, Bandung regency, a kilometer from the campus.

Sumedang Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Nurullah said that although an autopsy was crucial to determining the cause of death, the procedure could not be done without permission from the deceased’s family.

“We cannot perform an autopsy because the family has not allowed it,” Nurullah told The Jakarta Post.

AMC spokesperson Engkos Kosasih said Rinra had been taken to hospital at 5:30 on Monday morning, but had been dead on arrival, and was sent directly to the morgue.

Rinra’s body arrived in Makassar at 5 p.m. local time. He was buried in Panaikang cemetery.

A family member in Makassar confirmed that the family had ruled out an autopsy.

“We decided not to have an autopsy or post-mortem examination because we consider the death normal; due to sickness,” Irman Yasin Limpo said.

The IPDN, which currently has 3,962 students, made headlines in 2003 for a series of crimes committed by its senior students including violence that led to the deaths of a number of junior students, as well as drug use and pornography. The violence did not stop after the perpetrators were sent to jail. The latest incident occurred in April 2007 in which a student, Cliff Muntu, died.