Nabire Junior High School Returns Student Suspected of Murdering Younger Classmate to Parents

SMP Negeri 1 Nabire in Central Papua has expelled a 15-year-old student, identified as AWS, who is a suspect in the brutal murder of a younger classmate. The decision follows AWS's legal designation as a child facing legal challenges by the Nabire Police.

“

With regret, we return the child to their parents. So, whether the parents want it or not, we will return them and automatically remove them from Dapodik.

Theresia Maker, the school's vice principal for student affairs, stated that expelling AWS is an unavoidable administrative consequence of his legal status. His position as a student is automatically terminated, and he will be removed from the school's database. Maker expressed the school's deep regret in returning the student to his parents, emphasizing that this action is in accordance with school regulations.

“

We were shocked that it finally reached this severe level, up to murder.

The school administration conveyed shock at the severity of the case, which culminated in murder. Previously, the school had addressed an issue between AWS and the victim, Chelsy Kaltrin Candra, 14, involving their relationship. At the time, the matter was considered resolved amicably between families, with no indication of it escalating to a serious criminal offense.

“

As far as we observed, AWS's daily life was the same as his friends. There were no signs of different psychological symptoms. If there were prominent behaviors, the reports would have reached us.

Maker noted that AWS exhibited no suspicious psychological issues in his daily school life and behaved like any other student. The school's decision to expel him also aims to maintain a comfortable and psychologically safe environment for other students. The Nabire Education Department affirmed its full support for the legal proceedings, trusting law enforcement to handle the case professionally. The department views this tragic event as a critical evaluation point for the education sector, stressing the need for enhanced student supervision through collaboration between schools, parents, communities, and religious leaders to prevent future incidents.

“

We from the department fully entrust this to the authorities. We believe the authorities will resolve this matter professionally and proportionally.