(Indonesia, 14th) — A 19-year-old orphan in East Java, Indonesia, reportedly died after being severely beaten by four friends following a dispute over a pair of lost sandals. The victim suffered critical head injuries and died in hospital five days after the incident. Police have arrested four suspects involved.
According to 'Kompas', the deceased, Thomas Julianus Kristianto, succumbed to his injuries on the 4th of this month. He was a graduate of a Surabaya high school and was preparing to apply for university scholarships when tragedy struck.
The police are currently investigating the four suspects in custody.
Investigations revealed that the incident stemmed from a dispute in May over a pair of missing sandals. Thomas had visited a friend's house and mistakenly wore one of the suspects' Crocs sandals, which later went missing. The owner then demanded compensation.
Thomas’ sister, Hana, said that after learning about the matter, she gave her brother money to buy new sandals. Thomas then handed the new footwear to the owner, and she believed the issue was settled.
However, the suspect refused the replacement, claiming the lost Crocs were worth about 1.5 million Indonesian rupiah (about 108 Singapore dollars), whereas the new sandals Thomas bought as compensation were only worth around 200,000 to 300,000 rupiah (about 44 to 70 ringgit). The disagreement continued over the value of the sandals.
Hana questioned the claimed value, stating that the suspect never showed proof of purchase or specified the exact model.
The parties later agreed to settle the dispute through a one-on-one fight. However, according to an account from a friend of one of the suspects, when Thomas arrived at the site, he was not engaged in a one-on-one fight but was instead attacked by four people.
Thomas suffered serious head injuries from the assault. His family took him to a clinic in the early hours following the incident, and he was later transferred to a hospital for scans and surgery.
Despite surgery, he continued to bleed and remained in intensive care before finally being declared dead last Thursday (the 4th).
Reports say Thomas was the youngest of four siblings. He lost both parents while in secondary school and was cared for by his three older siblings and grandfather.
The police are currently investigating the four suspects in custody.
Investigations revealed that the incident stemmed from a dispute in May over a pair of missing sandals. Thomas had visited a friend's house and mistakenly wore one of the suspects' Crocs sandals, which later went missing. The owner then demanded compensation.
Thomas’ sister, Hana, said that after learning about the matter, she gave her brother money to buy new sandals. Thomas then handed the new footwear to the owner, and she believed the issue was settled.
However, the suspect refused the replacement, claiming the lost Crocs were worth about 1.5 million Indonesian rupiah (about 108 Singapore dollars), whereas the new sandals Thomas bought as compensation were only worth around 200,000 to 300,000 rupiah (about 44 to 70 ringgit). The disagreement continued over the value of the sandals.
Hana questioned the claimed value, stating that the suspect never showed proof of purchase or specified the exact model.
The parties later agreed to settle the dispute through a one-on-one fight. However, according to an account from a friend of one of the suspects, when Thomas arrived at the site, he was not engaged in a one-on-one fight but was instead attacked by four people.
Thomas suffered serious head injuries from the assault. His family took him to a clinic in the early hours following the incident, and he was later transferred to a hospital for scans and surgery.
Despite surgery, he continued to bleed and remained in intensive care before finally being declared dead last Thursday (the 4th).
Reports say Thomas was the youngest of four siblings. He lost both parents while in secondary school and was cared for by his three older siblings and grandfather.