The Tanah Karo Resort Police (Polres) have named nine people as suspects in a series of assault cases in the Mount Sibayak tourist area, Karo Regency. This act of vigilantism, triggered by allegations of theft, resulted in the death of a teenager from Medan City, while six other victims sustained injuries.
Karo Police Chief, Police Grand Attendant (AKBP) Pebriandi Haloho, revealed that the disclosure of this case began with a report of a teenager who died with suspicious injuries at Efarina Berastagi Hospital. Following up on the report, the Cobra Team of the Karo Police Criminal Investigation Unit alongside the Berastagi Police Crime Unit conducted an in-depth investigation that successfully pieced together the chronology of these interconnected events.
This tragic incident began when the victims were hiking on Mount Sibayak. A number of local residents, including a rogue retribution collector, suspected the group of teenagers of stealing items belonging to other hikers. Without seeking clarification from authorities, the perpetrators spontaneously launched a collective assault at the mountain summit.
The assault continued after the perpetrators interrogated the victims to identify other suspected thieves. This information led the perpetrators to Tongging Village to forcibly abduct RCS (17). The unfortunate teenager from Medan was then brought back to the location and sadistically tortured until he breathed his last breath.
The nine suspects currently detained by the police are identified by their initials: RS (30), ASS (26), MFRST (22), AT (23), WS (28), JSE (19), SAR (36), Z, and OS. In carrying out their actions, the perpetrators tortured the victims by tying them up, repeatedly beating them with bare hands and blunt objects, striking them with belts, and burning them with cigarettes. Police also seized evidence including a water hose, belts, and a public transport vehicle used by the perpetrators.
For these heinous acts, the suspects face multiple charges, including the Child Protection Law and heavy assault articles under the new Criminal Code (KUHP). Meanwhile, AKBP Pebriandi cleared up public rumors claiming that the incident was related to tourist area entry fees. He emphasized that the conflict was purely triggered by theft allegations that were not reported to the police.
The Police Chief strongly urged the public not to engage in vigilante actions and to leave the handling of criminal cases to the police via Call Center 110. He also assured that tourist areas in Karo Regency remain safe and conducive for tourists.
