Yogyakarta. Several members of the Yogyakarta Metropolitan Police are alleged to have tortured a Semarang resident, who later died from his wounds in September last year.

The victim, identified as 43-year-old Darso, was reportedly taken from his house in Purwosari subdistrict, Semarang, by several members of the Yogyakarta Traffic Police unit. He was then allegedly brought to a nearby soccer field, where he was tortured on September 21, according to the family’s attorney.

Darso was admitted to the hospital with severe injuries and died eight days later, lawyer Antoni Yudha Timor said on Saturday.

“The same three men [who took Darso], accompanied by the neighborhood leader, came to the house and informed his wife that Darso was being treated at Permata Medika Hospital,” Antoni said.

The incident reportedly stemmed from a traffic accident involving Darso that had injured a woman in Yogyakarta a few days earlier.

“He took responsibility for the traffic accident by taking the victim to a clinic. However, because he didn’t have enough money [to cover medical costs], Darso left his ID card,” the lawyer explained, adding that the accident caused only minor injuries.

Darso then traveled to Jakarta to obtain additional money to repair the rented car damaged in the accident. The alleged torture occurred shortly after he returned from Jakarta, the lawyer added.

Darso had reportedly told his wife, Poniyem, that he was tortured by the men who took him from their home.

“They offered me Rp 5 million, but I refused because my husband had told me to bring the case to justice,” Poniyem said.

The family has since filed a complaint with the Central Java Provincial Police, as the alleged torture occurred in Semarang.

Antoni said the family is demanding that the officers be charged with aggravated assault causing fatality, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

“What crime did Mr. Darso commit? His family couldn’t understand why he was hunted, abducted, and tortured. The traffic accident involving Darso caused only minor injuries, and he responsibly took the victim to a clinic. So why was he treated like that?” the lawyer asked.

In a separate statement, Yogyakarta Metropolitan Police spokesman Sujarwo said his office fully supports the ongoing investigation by the Jakarta Police.

“Allow us some time to collect information to better understand the chronology of the incident,” Sujarwo said. “We are fully cooperating with the Central Java Police in their investigation of the case.”

Darso’s case is the latest in a string of incidents involving service members that have tarnished the police’s reputation in recent months. A Semarang police officer was recently dismissed and charged with criminal offenses for the fatal shooting of a high school student. In Jakarta, dozens of officers faced an ethics tribunal for extorting Malaysian nationals during a concert in the city.

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