Police in Sukabumi, West Java, are investigating the death of a 13-year-old boy, identified only by his initials NS, after inconsistencies emerged surrounding the circumstances leading up to his death. The case has drawn attention to potential foul play and is currently under active investigation.
NS, a student at a local Islamic boarding school, had returned home for a school break in early February when he began experiencing symptoms of fever, cough, and nausea, prompting a visit to a local health clinic.
Initial medical examinations indicated an improvement in his condition, but on Wednesday, February 18, his health deteriorated. His father, AS, discovered numerous bruises on his son’s body after returning home from work in the city of Sukabumi, where he had left NS in the care of his stepmother, TR.
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According to Sukabumi Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief AKP Hartono, the stepmother had taken NS to a traditional healer, identified as S, earlier that day. “Suspicion arose when the father returned home on Thursday morning and found numerous bruises on his son’s body,” Hartono said, as reported by detikJabar on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
NS was transported to Jampang Kulon Regional Hospital on Thursday, February 19, where he reportedly told medical staff that his stepmother had forced him to drink hot water. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that afternoon, around 4:00 PM local time.
An initial external examination revealed widespread bruising across his body. Police reported finding evidence of what appeared to be second-degree burns on his face, neck, and limbs, as well as lip trauma consistent with blunt force. However, an autopsy revealed underlying chronic lung disease and internal organ congestion.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of NS’s death, seeking to reconcile the physical trauma with the autopsy findings. The case highlights the complexities of determining cause of death when multiple factors are present.
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(ygs/knv)
