INDONESIA Man was caught trying to steal construction equipment and materials from a construction site. A crowd of workers quickly surrounded him and decided to take matters into their own hands, brutally beating him with sticks and pelting him with stones. It is unknown whether he survived the attack.
Lynching and mob violence against suspected thieves have a long history in Indonesia and remain a recurring problem. Although the Indonesian government has been working to curb such attacks, incidents of mob violence continue to occur. If you ever witness a lynching, call the police immediately. Mob justice is a serious violation of the victim’s human rights, and those who take part can face criminal penalties that may be more severe than those faced by the alleged thief.
