Indonesia Army recruit, 22, allegedly abused & tortured to death by seniors

22-year-old Prada Lucky Chepril Saputra Namo, an army recruit in Indonesia, died after allegedly being tortured by several of his seniors in the battalion where he served.

Prada Lucky died on Aug. 6, after spending four days in the intensive care unit at Aeramo Regional Hospital in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, following the alleged abuse by his seniors.

Allegedly tortured by his seniors

According to The Jakarta Post, the abuse allegedly occurred repeatedly in the last week of July.

An internal report of the incident was then supposedly circulated.

According to Kompas, which saw the leaked report, it alleged that Prada Lucky had experienced sexual misconduct, before he was ultimately hospitalised on Aug. 2.

He had multiple cuts and bruises on his body, and also cigarette burn marks on his back.

Prada Lucky’s mother, Sepriana Paulina Mirpey, said that her son had told her about his seniors torturing him, Kompas reported.

He apparently confided in his mother about it a few hours before he passed away.

She added that during the four days when Prada Lucky was hospitalised, his superiors in the battalion did not inform his family about his condition.

She suspected that there was something wrong and decided to take a flight from her home in Kupang to the duty station.

Only then did she find out what had happened to her son.

Prada Lucky was a member of the Territorial Development Battalion/834 Waka Nga Mere in East Nusa Tenggara.

He had only been assigned to the battalion a few months before his death.

Many people attended the funeral

Prada Lucky’s funeral was held on Aug. 9 at a funeral home located in Kupang, Indonesia.

The funeral was attended by thousands of people who sympathised with what he had gone through, many of whom did not know him personally, Kompas reported.

Speaking to the media, Sepriana requested that the case be investigated until justice can be achieved for Prada Lucky and his family.

“My child died in vain. If he had died on the battlefield, I could accept it,” she said.

20 suspects were arrested

The Jakarta Post reported that 20 suspects were arrested on Aug. 11.

Chief of the Udayana Military Command, Piek Budyakto, revealed that one of the suspects was a platoon commander in the battalion which Prada Lucky was stationed at.

Army spokesperson Wahyu Yudhayana previously stated that the first four soldiers who were named as suspects were all first privates.

Requested the public and the media to give them time to investigate

Wahyu revealed that the suspected abuse occurred as part of "training" activities, which are now being subjected to investigation, Jakarta Globe reported.

According to Kompas, Wahyu stated that the platoon commander had allegedly allowed his subordinates to commit acts of violence and may be charged under Article 132 of the military code.

"Article 132 states that military personnel who deliberately allow subordinates or other soldiers to commit acts of violence will be subject to criminal penalties," Wahyu said.

He also stated that the number of suspects in Prada Lucky's case is relatively high as the violence took place over a period of time and involved multiple personnel.

He added that the investigation has to be conducted thoroughly so that the "appropriate actions can be taken against the right individuals", ensuring accountability and allow proper evaluations and improvements to be made.

Wahyu also asked the public and the media to give them time to investigate thoroughly so that the roles of each suspect in the alleged abuse could be determined accurately.

He emphasised that the Indonesian military does not tolerate such training which deviates from the principles meant to benefit the soldiers, especially if it results in the death of a military personnel.

He affirmed that they will be taking the case seriously and proper action will be taken against those involved.

Indonesia minister calls for transparent probe into the case

According to local news outlet Tempo, Budi Gunawan, who is the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, said in a written statement on Aug. 12 that “the government is committed to ensure such incidents do not happen again through legal enforcement and reforms in the internal supervision system within military units”.

He also added that Prada Lucky's case is a serious concern for the government as it involves the safety, discipline, and honour of military personnel. 

Kompas reported that Colonel Infantry Candra, who is the Head of Information of the IX/Udayana Military Command, expressed his condolences via a text message:

“We would like to inform you that we are aware of the incident and that the case is currently being handled intensively.”

Father expressed trust in investigation

IX/Udayana is a military regional command of the Indonesian army which is responsible for the Nusa Tenggara Islands.

Candra stated that an investigation and examination are currently being conducted by the Kupang Military Police Detachment.

“We continue to uphold the presumption of innocence.

However, if they are later proven guilty, they will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law and regulations applicable within the military.”

According to Jakarta Globe, Prada Lucky's father, Christian Namo, who is also an Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) soldier, expressed his confidence in the military's commitment to seeking justice for his son and being transparent in their investigations.

"We entrust the entire process to the TNI. I am also a soldier; I know the TNI will act firmly.

Our lives are for Indonesia, but the perpetrators must be held accountable."

Top photos via Flora Kanisius/Facebook