Parents must deter kids from participating in raids: Police

On the heels of the ransacking of a cafe in Pesanggrahan, South Jakarta, on Saturday night, after which the Jakarta Police detained 62 individuals, including 41 teenagers, Jakarta Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto has urged all parents in the city to monitor the activities of their children during Ramadhan.

"For parents whose children or other teenaged relatives have joined mass organizations, I beg all of you, please advise your sons and daughters against participating in nightclub raids," he told reporters on Monday.

Rikwanto reaffirmed the police's stance of acting firmly against anyone caught participating in nightclub raids, regardless of age or social background. "Anyone caught committing criminal acts [during Ramadhan] may not be able to spend this year's Idul Fitri holiday with their family, at the very least."

A police report released on the weekend reveals that a mob of more than 100 males ransacked De Most cafe in Pesanggrahan at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday.

A number of the perpetrators were arrested when on their way from the cafe to another location.

Of the 62 who detainees, the police have named 23 individuals, including two male teenagers, as suspects.

Nineteen of the 23 suspects have been charged with forceful attack with intent to inflict harm under the Criminal Code's Article 170, which carries a maximum sentence of five-and-a-half years in prison.

The remaining four, including the two teenagers, were charged under the same article as well as under Article 2 of Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on firearms and explosives for illegally and publicly brandishing sharp weapons. The four could face up to 10 years in jail if found guilty.

Several of the children's parents later said that their kids had told them that they were going to a Koran-recital gathering a few hours prior to the incident.