Three members of the Jayapura District police have beaten up Raimond Penggu (33) and Viki Yikwanak (33) in Sentani near the old market, known as the ‘Pasar Lama’. On 30 July 2018 in the early morning hours, Raimond Penggu and Viki Yikwanak (image on the left) had driven to ‘Pasar Lama’ to meet some of their friends and eat together at a nearby restaurant. On the way back to the car, three police officers approached Raimond and Viki and began to punch and beat them with their rifle butts. According to the online media outlet ‘Suara Papua’, the police members had allegedly suspected the two drivers as the perpetrators in a theft case.
The ill-treatment resulted in a bleeding head injury at the temple as well as bruises and swellings in the victims’ faces and on their backs. The police officers also damaged a side mirror and parts of the car body before they arrested Raimond Penggu and Viki Yikwanak and temporarily detained them until several relatives demanded that the victims would be released. The relatives brought Raimond and Viki to the Yowari General Hospital in Sentani where they received medical treatment.
