Seven people attacked a teenager in Bekasi, four arrested by police.

Jakarta – The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Bekasi Metro City Police has uncovered a case of mob violence against a teenager identified as AKA. Four perpetrators have been arrested.

The Bekasi Metro City Police Chief explained that the attack occurred at the Sari Gaperi Housing Complex, in the Jatibening sub-district, Pondok Gede district, Bekasi City. The incident began when the victim, AKA, was riding a motorcycle along a road with a friend, when they were suddenly chased and blocked by a group of unknown people also on motorcycles.

The perpetrators immediately physically intimidated and beat the victim indiscriminately. The modus operandi of this mass violent act was triggered by a fatal misunderstanding.

The perpetrators accused the victim of being part of a youth group that had previously beaten their friend. The friend who was riding with the victim managed to escape the encirclement to seek help.

“This is purely a case of mistaken identity mob violence. The victim and the perpetrators did not know each other at all. In the middle of the beating, one of the perpetrators suddenly recognized the victim’s face and shouted to his friends that the teenager they were beating was not the person they were looking for,” said the Police Chief.

Meanwhile, the victim AKA, who was pinned under his fallen motorcycle, became the target of the assault. Ironically, after the victim was beaten black and blue, one of the perpetrators only then realized the victim’s face was not the person they were looking for at all.

“Even though the perpetrator told the victim to leave after realizing they had the wrong target, the anarchic actions carried out together in public are clearly very disturbing to the public,” he said.

Responding to a report from the victim’s parents, the Opsnal Jatanras Team immediately conducted an intensive manhunt. In less than 24 hours, police secured 4 perpetrators out of a total of 7 gang members. Two of the perpetrators are adults, and two are minors in conflict with the law, while the other 3 perpetrators are now on the wanted list.

The perpetrators are charged under Article 262 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code regarding mob violence using collective force in public, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 5 years.