High school teacher in Indonesia faces potential vision loss after confrontation over smoking incident

INDONESIA: A high school teacher in Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu, has become the victim of an alarming incident that has left him on the brink of vision loss.

The unfortunate event unfolded due to the educator’s attempt to uphold discipline by admonishing students for partaking in smoking activities within the school premises.

The teacher, identified as Zaharman (58), who is also involved in sports instruction, found himself in a distressing situation on Tuesday (1 Aug).

It all started when Zaharman noticed a student, referred to as PDM (16), engaging in smoking during school hours behind the school building.

Acting responsibly, Zaharman reprimanded the student for his behavior.

In response to the reprimand, the student quickly retreated to his residence and enlisted the involvement of his parents.

The parents, identified as AR (45), promptly arrived at the school after receiving their child’s complaint.

Upon arrival, AR gained access to the school premises and informed the security personnel that his child had been allegedly mistreated by the teacher.

Despite attempts to restrain AR, he brandished a knife and a slingshot, escalating the situation.

The confrontation eventually led to AR and the student entering the school to confront Zaharman.

Tragically, the disagreement took a violent turn, resulting in the teacher being struck in the eye with a projectile from AR’s slingshot.

The impact caused significant damage to Zaharman’s right eyeball, necessitating its removal.

Witnessing the distressing sight of the injured teacher, AR panicked and swiftly exited the school grounds.

The teacher was promptly rushed to the AR Bunda Hospital in Lubuklinggau City to receive urgent medical attention for his eye injury.

Zaharman’s condition (Photo: Tribun Bengkulu)

Local media outlets reported that the incident caught the attention of Kapolsek (sector police chief) PUT IPTU Hengky Noprianto, who has received an official report detailing the alleged abuse suffered by Zaharman.

Additionally, it has come to light that students are contemplating filing a formal complaint against Zaharman (58) for what they perceive as acts of violence.

This move is intended to shed light on purported incidents of student mistreatment, including kicking and physical aggression, as well as instances of disrespectful behavior.

In response, law enforcement authorities are committed to approaching the situation impartially.

The police will undertake a thorough and objective investigation into the reported abuse, aiming to establish a comprehensive understanding of the events that transpired.

As the investigation unfolds, law enforcement will diligently pursue all leads and gather pertinent information related to this distressing case of abuse.