On 15 July 2024, Mr Herik Gombo died under suspicious circumstances during custody at the Merauke Police. Mr Gombo and his colleague had been detained following a motorcycle accident earlier that day. His family and legal representatives demand clarity and accountability from the police regarding his death inside the detention cell.
On 15 July 2024, Mr Gombo and his colleague were involved in a motorcycle collision with a Merauke resident. While the Merauke resident suffered severe injuries and was hospitalized, Mr Gombo and his colleague were taken to the Merauke Police Traffic Unit cell because both men appeared to have only minor injuries from the accident. Police officers claimed they detained both men to prevent horizontal conflict.
According to the information received, both men fell asleep in the detention cell. As Mr Gombo’s colleague woke up again, he discovered Mr Gombo’s body dead in the cell’s bathroom inside the water tub. The circumstances of Mr Gombo’s death are unclear, with his family questioning how he could have drowned in the small bathtub given his large stature.
The victim’s family, represented by the Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua), demands a thorough investigation and legal accountability from the police (see phot on top, source: Jubi). They have raised concerns about the lack of medical treatment for Mr Gombo, the absence of an autopsy, and the police’s handling of the body without involvement of relatives.
As of 31 July 2024, the relatives had not received any explanation for Mr Gombo’s death from the police. LBH Papua Director, Mr Emanuel Gobay, questioned the decision to detain Gombo without medical attention following the accident and the absence of police officers monitoring the cell at the time of his death.
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Merauke (-8.504678428664668, 140.40851223608217)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Selatan Province, Merauke Regency, Merauke City
total number of victims: one
period of incident: 15.07.2024
perpetrator: police
perpetrator details: Traffic Police
Issues: extra-judicial killings, ill-treatment, indigenous peoples
Sources: https://jubi.id/mamta/2024/kematian-herik-gombo-di-sel-satlantas-polres-merauke-tidak-wajar/
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1 | Herik Gombo | male | unknown | indigenous | execution |
