There are concerns and controversies surrounding the alleged abuse of teacher Supriyani

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The case of Supriyani, an honorary primary school teacher in South Konawe district, Southeast Sulawesi province, who was reported to police for alleged abuse by a student’s parents, has sparked controversy. Supriyani was accused of abusing a six-year-old student, D, the child of a police officer, at Baito 4 Public Elementary School (SDN) on April 26, 204. The case went viral on social media after the South Konawe District Attorney’s Office agency arrested Supriyani on October 16 from Kendari women’s prison.

Several groups, including teachers’ associations and politicians, have rallied behind Supriyani and are using the hashtag #SaveSupriyani to express their solidarity.

“We will monitor this matter closely,” Baito District Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) chairman Hasna said.

Hasna described Supriyani as a calm, patient and kind teacher who would never harm a student.

While admitting that disciplinary measures are sometimes necessary in schools, Hasna emphasized that they must be reasonable and not involve physical abuse.

After a week in detention, Supriyani was released on Tuesday (October 22) following the decision of the South Konawe District Attorney and the Andoolo District Court to suspend her detention.

When making the decision, they took into account her family commitments, including caring for a toddler, and her ongoing educational responsibilities at SDN 4 Baito.

After her release, Supriyani, overcome with emotion, was greeted by a crowd of colleagues and supporters.

“It took six days (in jail). Thank you to everyone who helped me,” she said.

However, the legal proceedings against her are still ongoing.

Baito Police Sector Chief, Second Police Inspector Muhammad Idris, outlined the chronology of the alleged abuse case against Supriyani.

“Initially, on April 25, 2024, the victim’s parent noticed a bruise on the child’s thigh,” he said. The child, a first grade student, claimed that the bruise was caused by a fall while riding a motorcycle with his father in a paddy field.

However, the child’s mother did not believe the story and questioned her husband. When asked by the father, the child eventually admitted to being beaten by the child’s teacher, Supriyani.

The student’s father reported the incident to Baito police on April 26. Instead of immediately processing the report, the police tried to mediate between the two parties by involving the village chief.

During the mediation, Supriyani was reportedly asked to pay out Rp 50 million or about US$3,200, but she and the school were unable to pay the amount.

However, the police have rejected any request for money from D’s parents. After mediation failed, Supriyani’s case continued and she was detained.

SDN 4 Baito director Sanaali confirmed that Supriyani had punished a student in April, but denied any abuse that caused injury.

“There has never been an incident of Ms. Supriyani abusing a student. Other teachers have also given testimonies,” Sanaali said. ANTARA.

Following a public investigation, the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police sent an internal team to investigate allegations of procedural violations in the handling of the case.

Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police Deputy Chief Brigadier General Amur Chandra Juli Buana said the team will also investigate the recovery of evidence – a broom allegedly taken from school by D’s parents without police intervention.

“Hopefully we will know the results soon and share them with the public,” he added.

Indonesian Teachers Association president Unifah Rosyidi praised the police’s decision to suspend Supriyani’s detention.

Unifah requested that if teacher actions are deemed a violation of the law, relevant police officers would endeavor to provide restorative justice and work with the local PGRI to enforce the teacher’s code of ethics.

This would be in line with the POLRI MOU with PGRI regarding legal protection for the teaching profession.

Supriyani’s case highlights the vulnerable legal position of teachers in dealing with issues with students’ parents.

Law No. 14/2005 on Teachers and Lecturers requires the government and society to protect teachers during the learning process. Supriyani has maintained that she did not abuse the student.

A member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Rudianto Lallo, called for the implementation of restorative justice for Supriyani, who will face his first trial on Thursday (October 24).

While the legal proceedings are ongoing, Rudianto said he believes cases like Supriyani’s, involving a teacher and a student, can be resolved through restorative justice because their relationship is akin to that of a mother and a child.

According to Rudianto, Supriyani’s intention was likely to guide and nurture her students rather than cause harm. Therefore, he said he believes the case does not need to be dealt with in the criminal domain, especially given her previous detention.

Related news: Ministry to hire more than 293,000 teachers as contract employees

Related News: Local Language Teacher Helpful to Grow Students’ Character: Governor

Editor: Tia Mutiasari
Copyright © ANTARA 2024