Samhudi, a middle school teacher in Sidoarjo, East Java, was given a 3-month suspended prison sentence yesterday after he was found guilty of administering corporal punishment on one of his students.
On February 3, 2016, Samhudi pinched his student, identified as SF, as punishment for refusing to partake in the morning Dhuha prayer – which is not one of the five mandatory daily Islamic prayers. SF then told his parents about the punishment, who then brought the matter to the police.
Prosecutors demanded a 6-month prison sentence for Samhudi. But at the sentencing hearing yesterday, judges showed leniency on Samhudi despite being found guilty of violating Child Protection Laws.
“The punishment does not have to be carried out by the convicted,” said presiding judge Rin Sesulih, as quoted by Merdeka.
Under the ruling, Samhudi was given a 6-month probation period. He won’t have to serve his 3-month prison sentence unless he commits the same crime during his probation period. In addition, he was fined Rp 250,000.
The Education Ministry in June warned Indonesian teachers not to use corporal punishment to discipline children amid a rising number of cases. They argued that corporal punishment is outdated and ineffective.
