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The Night of October 3, 2023
By the evening of Tuesday, October 3, 2023, investigators say Muhammad Rauf had once again found himself without a safe place to spend the night.
According to the police investigation and prosecutors' case files, the 13-year-old returned to his grandfather's residence in Parigimulya Village, Cipunagara District, Subang Regency. Authorities believe he arrived at the house seeking shelter after finding himself locked out and without anywhere else to go.
Investigators allege that the doors to the residence were locked when Rauf arrived. Unable to enter through the front entrance, he reportedly climbed onto the roof and removed several roof tiles in an attempt to gain access to the house.
The noise reportedly alerted Pramono, Rauf's maternal grandfather.
According to investigators, Pramono confronted the boy inside the house, where a violent altercation allegedly began. Police later stated that Pramono struck Rauf with a woodworking saw, causing visible injuries. Investigators recovered what they believe to be the weapon during a subsequent search of the residence.
The disturbance also drew the attention of Nurhani, Rauf's biological mother.
According to police and prosecutors, Nurhani accused her son of entering the house to steal a missing mobile phone. Investigators allege that the confrontation quickly escalated into a prolonged physical assault.
Authorities say Rauf was repeatedly struck with bare hands and multiple objects, including a mobile phone, a wooden or bamboo stick, and a metal-tipped rod. According to forensic findings presented during the investigation, many of the injuries were concentrated on the victim's head and face, resulting in severe blunt-force trauma and significant bleeding.
As the assault continued, investigators allege that Nurhani called her younger brother, Sugiyanto, to assist.
Police say Sugiyanto restrained the boy by tying both of his hands behind his back with a strip of rubber commonly cut from an inner tube. According to investigators, Rauf was left lying on the floor while still alive but suffering from extensive injuries.
Crime scene investigators later reported finding bloodstains inside the residence that had not been completely cleaned before officers arrived. During the search, police also seized several items believed to have been used during the assault, including the woodworking saw, wooden sticks, and a metal rod. These items were later submitted for forensic examination as part of the criminal investigation.
Investigators emphasized that, despite the severity of his injuries, there was evidence indicating that Rauf was still alive after the alleged assault had ended. This finding would become one of the most significant elements of the case, as it directly influenced the sequence of criminal charges later filed by prosecutors.
Rather than immediately seeking emergency medical treatment, authorities allege that the events inside the house took a different course during the early hours of October 4, 2023. According to the prosecution, decisions made after the assault would ultimately transform the case from one involving alleged child abuse into a homicide investigation carrying some of the most serious criminal charges available under Indonesian law.
The next phase of the investigation would focus on what investigators describe as Rauf's final journey, a trip that ended approximately 40 kilometers away in neighboring Indramayu Regency, where his body would be discovered only hours later.