Members of the Teluk Wondama District Police allegedly tortured a suspect named Sedrik Kaikatu as he was receiving medical treatment at the public hospital in the town of Wasior, Papua Barat Province. Sedrik Kaikatu had sustained multiple injuries while police officers tried to arrest him. The Chief of the Teluk Wondama District Police, Yohanes Agustiandaru, explained that Mr Kaikatu was admitted to the public hospital because he injured himself as he fell off a roof, where he was trying to hide from the police officers. The police chief’s statement contradicts the testimonies of other sources who claim that the officers released multiple shots when the suspect attempted to escape. The Manokwari police had put Sedrik Kaikatu on the list of wanted persons for alleged involvement in the theft at a mobile phone store in Manokwari on 23 April 2020.
On 11 July 2020, at 1.00 pm, several police officers came to the house of Sedrik Kaikatu’s parents near the Soyar Market in Wasior. When Sedrik saw the officers, he jumped out of a window and ran away. The police officers chased after him and allegedly released multiple shots at Sedrik Kaikatu. At least one bullet reportedly pierced his left arm and for that he got 15 stitches. He also sustained an injury below the right knee which was sewn with four stitches (see intro image, source: Jubi). A sharp object allegedly caused the wound. The witness claimed that officers arrested Sedrik Kakaitu after falling on the ground in front of the PLN office in Wasior, approximately 30 meters from his parents’ house.
After that, the police officers admitted him to the Wasior public hospital. Another witness saw how multiple plain cloth officers entered the emergency room and punched Sedrik Kakaitau at least seven times while being handcuffed to a bed. According to testimony, a doctor who witnessed the beatings urged the officers to stop the torture immediately. At 4.20 pm, police officers brought Sedrik Kakaitau to the Teluk Wondama District Police Station.
