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Police urged to be transparent in discovery of seven bodies in Bekasi River
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Bekasi Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) and police personnel stand on Sept. 22, 2024, near the body bags of seven male teenagers drowned in the Bekasi River in Bekasi, West Java. (Antara/Rezas Ale)
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number of police watchdogs have urged the law enforcement authorities to be transparent in probing the discovery of the bodies of seven male teenagers in the Bekasi River, West Java, who are thought to have been chased by the police for initiating a brawl via social media.
The call comes amid various reports about police negligence and brutality when it comes to dealing with juvenile delinquency, including the unresolved case of the death of a 13-year-old teenager identified with the initials AM in West Sumatra on June 9.
AM’s body was discovered the morning after the police arrested some teenagers suspected of inciting a violence fight. An initial report by the Padang Legal Aid Institute in West Sumatra found that police had beaten the boy because of the evidence of bruises found on his body.
The Jakarta Police, meanwhile, announced on Sunday that they recovered seven bodies in the river in Jatiasih, a district in Bekasi, after a local resident spotted five of them floating. They were thought to be part of the same teenage group the Bekasi Police arrested on Saturday night, three of whom were found carrying bladed weapons.
An initial investigation led the local police to suspect that the victims were about to have a brawl, but ended up jumping into the river to evade officers who were patrolling the area.
Read also: Rights commission investigating death of teen allegedly killed by police
Police expert Bambang Rukminto called for transparency during the investigation to ensure that no details are hidden from the public, especially if police mishandling is found to be involved.
