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Police admit neglect following death at soccer match
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Mourning: Relatives and neighbors gather at the house of Catur Yuliantono's family in Bekasi, West Java, on Sunday. Catur was killed by a firecracker explosion during a friendly soccer match between Indonesia and Fiji at the Patriot Candrabhaga Sports Stadium in Bekasi City, West Java, on Saturday. (Kompas.com/Jessi Carina)
B
ekasi City Police chief Sr. Comr. Hero Bachtiar admitted that police personnel had been careless in screening spectators entering the Patriot Candrabhaga Sports Stadium in Bekasi, West Java, on Saturday, to watch a friendly soccer match between the national teams of Indonesia and Fiji.
Some spectators managed to bring firecrackers into the stadium that later exploded and killed a spectator, Catur Yuliantono.
“I admit that there was inattentiveness of our personnel in carrying out security measures. It seems security checks conducted were not too detailed. Spectators continued to flock to the stadium, so they no longer carried out [detailed] checks and re-checks,” said Hero, as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.
He said ARP, 25, who had been named a suspect in the case, had been carrying hand flares and rocket flares inside his bag as he entered the stadium. ARP passed a security check gate manned by several police officers.
“It shows that things carried by spectators were just inspected from the outside and not examined further,” said Hero.
Hero said the personnel should have carried out security measures in line with existing procedures, including by inspecting spectators’ belongings.
“With our investigation, we will trace which entrance ARP entered through and who was assigned to carry out security checks in the location [...],” said Hero.
Police arrested ARP at his home in Cimuning, Bekasi, West Java, on Monday morning. Police will charge ARP under Criminal Code Article 359 on negligence, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. (rdi/ebf)
