December 16, 2024
JAKARTA – Relatives of victims of the fatal 2022 Kanjuruhan stadium crush in Malang, East Java, are seeking Rp 17.5 billion (US$1.1 million) in compensation from five people who were found guilty of negligence in the incident.
The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), which is representing the victims’ families, has filed a petition with the Surabaya District Court seeking restitution from the convicted offenders. The first hearing on the motion was held on Tuesday.
Dozens of victims’ family members attended the hearing wearing all black and carrying posters reading, “Investigate the Kanjuruhan tragedy thoroughly!”
LPSK expert staffer Rianto Wicaksono said the restitution the institution was calling for would ensure offenders took “moral and financial responsibility” for the victims and their families and helped in their recovery process.
“We hope that the Surabaya District Court can grant our request and provide justice for the people who suffered injuries or lost their loved ones in the tragedy,” Rianto said on Tuesday.
He added that if approved, the Rp 17.5 billion in compensation would be divided among relatives of 73 victims who were injured or lost their lives in the stampede, with each family receiving some Rp 250 million.
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One hundred and thirty-five people were killed and hundreds more were injured in the Kanjuruhan stampede, which occurred after a match between home team Arema FC and archrival Persebaya Surabaya at Kanjuruhan Stadium on Oct. 1, 2022.
An investigation by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) found the main cause of the stampede was the firing of 45 rounds of tear gas into the crowd by the police after several fans invaded the pitch.
Hundreds of people fled for the stadium’s small exits, but some of them were closed, resulting in a crush that left many trampled or suffocating to death.
Six people were charged in the incident and five were found guilty of negligence.
For their roles in the incident, Malang Police officer Bambang Sidik Achmadi was sentenced to two years in prison and his colleague Wahyu Setyo Pranoto was sentenced to two and a half years, while the commander of the East Java Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob), Hasdarmawan, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The head of the organizing committee, Abdul Haris, also received 18 months of jail time, while security head Suko Sutrisno got one year in prison.
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Rights groups and victims’ families say the sentences were too lenient.
They also said those who were punished by the court were only those working on the ground, instead of those truly responsible for the tragedy.
Andi Irfan of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has criticized the LPSK for only accommodating restitution claims from the families of 73 of the victims.
“It means that there are hundreds of victims of the Kanjuruhan stampede that will not receive compensation. It’s not enough,” Andi said.
He added that the LPSK should file lawsuits against Indonesian soccer league operator PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) and the National Police, not just against the convicts.
“These people acted on behalf of these institutions, not as individuals,” Andi said.
Rini Hanifah, who lost her 20-year-old son Agus Riansyah in the Kanjuruhan stampede, concurred, saying LIB and the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) should also pay compensation to victims and their relatives.