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Third suicide since December suspected at Padjadjaran University
The 22-year-old fatality studied animal husbandry and was known as a promising student with a high grade point average.
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student from Padjadjaran University was found dead on Friday at his residence in Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java, in what appears to be an apparent suicide, the third possible case at the campus since December.
According to the university records, the 22-year-old fatality studied animal husbandry and was known as a promising student with high grade point average (GPA) of 3.88.
The student was found hanged at his residence in Hegarmanah village, which is close to the campus.
The spokesperson of Padjadjaran University, Syauqy Luqman, said the body was discovered by Agus Purwanto, a lecturer from the university’s School of Mathematics and Natural Science, who lived nearby.
Shortly after learning the news, the dean of the School of Animal Husbandry, Husmy Yurmiati, and deputy dean Iman Hernaman talked to the police and the victim’s family who were already at the student's residence.
“We urge the public not to speculate about [the student's] death until the police issue an official statement,” Syauqy said on Friday. He added that the police are currently investigating the death and collecting more information.
Sumedang Police chief Sr. Comr. Hartoyo claimed that the student's mental condition was unstable prior to his death.
“He always threatened to kill himself whenever he got into trouble. Before he [died], he had a problem with his girlfriend,” Hartoyo told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Prior to this incident, two students at the campus committed suicide in December, one who majored in history at the School of Cultural Science and another who studied at the School of Fisheries and Oceanography. The two earlier victims died a week apart from each other.
According to faculty members and the victims’ families, neither had academic difficulties before taking their own lives.
Dyta Nabilah Widyaningsih, a student at the university’s School of Journalism and Communications, said she was surprised to learn about the incident through a social media grapevine. The 19-year-old said she finds school assignments to be overwhelming at times, but there are lecturers who always help students.
“We can discuss our problems with our lecturers and the student association also has an advocacy division where we can deliver our complaints, after which they will conduct a hearing,” she said on Saturday.
Another student, Renata Maximillian, said she was aware the university offered counseling services, although she has not yet figured out how to access them.
“I know the college offers counseling services, but I have never gone there or used them,” she said.
Syauqy urged students to be more open to the university’s staff members about academic or personal problems. Students who have academic problems are strongly advised to talk to their academic advisors, deputy deans and other lecturers. Students who are troubled by personal issues are encouraged to use the university’s counseling services, which are run by the School of Psychology.
