A 12-year-old boy with initials NS died allegedly from abuse by his stepmother in Sukabumi Regency, West Java. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) describes the case as filicide and urges swift legal proceedings. The House of Representatives (DPR) pledges to monitor the case through to trial.
The death of a boy with initials NS (12) in Bojongsari Village, Jampangkulon District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java, has drawn attention from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) and the House of Representatives (DPR). The victim, who usually lived at a pesantren, was on break for pre-Ramadan preparations with his family when the incident occurred. He was found with bruises and burns on his body.
The victim's father, working in Sukabumi City, received a call from his wife asking him to return home because the boy was ill. Upon arriving, the boy was rushed to Jampang Kulon Hospital but ultimately passed away there. The case is currently under investigation by Sukabumi Police Resort.
KPAI member Diyah Puspitarini states that the abuse constitutes filicide, the murder of a child by a parent, including a stepmother, falling under severe domestic violence (KDRT). "The case in Surade, Sukabumi Regency, where the child with initials N (12) was abused by his stepmother is included in filicide cases," she said. She lists contributing factors as economic issues, jealousy, fear, lack of emotional support, and poor parental emotion regulation. KPAI urges swift legal action under Law No. 35 of 2014 on Child Protection, including Article 76C in conjunction with Article 80, with an additional one-third penalty since the perpetrator is a parent.
Meanwhile, DPR's Commission III Chairman Habiburokhman strongly condemns the abuse and recommends the same articles, carrying a 15-year prison sentence. "We will continue to monitor this case until the trial so that the deceased and his family get justice," he stated. The DPR asks investigators to examine the acts thoroughly, especially if the abuse was ongoing as an aggravating factor.
