The Tanah Karo Regency Police (Polres) have officially named nine people as suspects in a severe assault case that killed a teenage hiker in the Mount Sibayak tourist area, Karo Regency. Investigators made this decision after gathering sufficient preliminary evidence from an in-depth investigation into the tragic incident.
Karo Police Chief, Police Grand Commissioner Adjutant (AKBP) Pebriandi Haloho, revealed that the suspects are identified by their initials: RS (30), ASS (26), MFRST (22), AT (23), WS (28), JSE (19), SAR (36), Z, and OS. They are strongly suspected of collectively committing acts of violence against the victim, identified as RCH (17), which resulted in the victim's death, as well as injuring six other hikers at the Mount Sibayak Tourism Parking Retribution Post in Jaranguda Village.
Based on the investigation results, the perpetrators brutally assaulted the victim by binding them, beating them with bare hands and blunt objects such as belts, and burning the victim's body with cigarette butts. From the crime scene, police seized several pieces of evidence, including a blue water hose, three leather belts, and a public transportation vehicle used during the incident.
For their heinous acts, the nine suspects are charged under multiple articles, including the Child Protection Act and related articles in the Criminal Code (KUHP), facing severe prison sentences. The investigation is now being fully handled by the Karo Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) to complete the case file before it is transferred to the prosecution.
