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Internal affairs questions 17 officers over Bekasi teens' deaths
The Jakarta Police have questioned at least 17 officers in connection with the seven teen boys whose bodies were found in the Bekasi River, as calls grow for transparency amid increasing reports of police brutality in handling juvenile cases.
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Police officers prepare body bags for transport on Sept. 22, 2024 in Jatiasih, Bekasi, after recovering the bodies of seven teenage boys from the Bekasi River. (Antara/Rezas Ale)
T
he Jakarta Police’s internal affairs department has questioned 17 police officers in connection with an investigation into the deaths of seven teenage boys, who are believed to have drowned in the Bekasi River in West Java while fleeing police over allegations they had incited a brawl via social media.
A total of 27 people have been questioned in the case, including 17 police officers from different jurisdictions, according to Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ade Ary Syam Indradi.
“Ten were from the Bekasi City Police, three from the Jatiasih District Police and four from the Rawa Lumbu District Police,” Ade said on Friday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
The remaining 10 were all private individuals, three of who were later named suspects for carrying sharp weapons at the time of the incident.
The bodies of the seven teenagers were recovered on Sunday from a stretch of the river in Jatiasih district, Bekasi, after a resident spotted five floating bodies. The preliminary investigation into the discovery led to suspicions that the victims, who were allegedly preparing to fight, had jumped into the river to escape patrolling officers.
Read also: Police urged to be transparent in discovery of seven bodies in Bekasi River
Health workers at the Kramat Jati National Police Hospital in East Java used DNA and biometric analysis to identify the victims including their names and ages, which range between 15 and 20 years, but have yet to determine the cause of death.
