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ACADEMIA Letters COVID-19 Body Snatching in Indonesia: Ancient Crime in Modern Time Ariesta Wibisono Anditya, Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani Yogyakarta Body snatching, which probably an obscure exercise, an ancient practice of studying human anatomy, possibly a trend in Indonesia. People from a particular region deliberately remove a family member who had died of coronavirus disease from the hospital’s care.1 Despite the official test results positive for infection, the family, relatives, and other citizens unjustly or illegally taking over the dead body from the hospital’s care.2 Their purpose is mainly to hold their cultural family’s burial tradition through generations.3 New rules of coronavirus protocol have urged the hospital to conduct the treatment. Suppose the victim has proven passed away by a coronavirus. In that case, the family could not attend the last time to pay a visit or even attend the funeral to their loved one. Such a condition steals the sacred moment of a loved one’s departure, leaving the family hopeless.4 However, in the old-time, body snatching has been a common practice related to the study of anatomy during the ancient times of human cadaver dissection at the University of 1 “Indonesian Police Battle Wave of ‘body Snatching’ by Coronavirus Victims’ Grieving Relatives, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times,” The Strait Times, June 12, 2020 2 James Massola and Amilia Rosa, “Coronavirus: Indonesia’s COVID-19 Body Snatchers Risk Catching Virus,” June 29, 2020. 3 Misbah Hudri and Muhammad Radya Yudantiasa, “Tradisi ‘Makkuluhuwallah’ Dalam Ritual Kematian Suku Bugis,” MAGHZA: Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Tafsir 3, no. 2 (2018): 228–41, doi:10.24090/maghza.v3i2.2136; Jerry Hendrajaya and Amru Almu’tasim, “Tradisi Selamatan Kematian Nyatus Nyewu: Implikasi Nilai Pluralisme Islam Jawa,” Jurnal Lektur Keagamaan 17, no. 2 (2020): 431–60, doi:10.31291/jlk.v17i2.756. 4 “Indonesian Police Battle Wave of ‘body Snatching’ by Coronavirus Victims’ Grieving Relatives, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times”; Hudri and Yudantiasa, “Tradisi ‘Makkuluhuwallah’ Dalam Ritual Kematian Suku Bugis”; Ari Abi Aufa, “MEMAKNAI KEMATIAN DALAM UPACARA KEMATIAN DI JAWA,” An-Nas: Jurnal Humaniora 1, no. 1 (2017); Hendrajaya and Almu’tasim, “Tradisi Selamatan Kematian Nyatus Nyewu: Implikasi Nilai Pluralisme Islam Jawa.” Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ariesta Wibisono Anditya, ariesta.wa@gmail.com Citation: Anditya, A.W. (2021). COVID-19 Body Snatching in Indonesia: Ancient Crime in Modern Time. Academia Letters, Article 1111. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1111. 1 Bologna.5 The earliest recorded examination of the human cadaver would trace back to the 14th century. Body snatching had gained interest significantly when the need for dissection was not equal to the human cadaver supply to the 18th and early 19th centuries. At those times, men were primarily working for schools or hospitals by exhuming corpses.6 Later, several well-organized gangs of grave robbers ran their business in large cities in Europe, including London. Their work eventually put out by the London government under the Anatomical Act of 1832 ruling.7 The act would prohibit anatomical dissection of a human remain unless the deceased stated clearly as the law specified wish the contrary (to be examined); or unless the surviving spouse or any known relation of the perished shall object. This act is adopted and currently carried out by medics. Among many kinds of body-snatching cases in Indonesia, there are two well-known cases, namely Sumanto and the case of Resi Rokhis Suhana.8 Typically, body-snatching crime relates closely to the unlawful removal of human remains (the entire body) from a morgue or a grave. Despite the confusion over who belongs to a deceased body, judges of the Sumanto case interpreted the body of Mrs. Rinah owned by her heirs. Sumanto charged with Article 363 Section 1 of the Indonesian Criminal Code. Sumanto, who was proven liable for deliberately removing Mrs. Rinah’s body from the grave, possessed the body unlawfully belonging to another.9 By damaging the tomb, proven guilty for theft, sentenced to five years in prison. On the other hand, Resi Rokhis Suhana is identical to the case of Sumanto, except for the mental illness that Resi suffered made him exempted from the crime.10 Today, amid coronavirus pandemic, the deliberate removal of a dead person’s body from the morgue without the hospital’s consent in Indonesia is neither an anatomical purpose nor to possess the belonging of another. These snatching incidents reported from Makassar, Bekasi, and Surabaya are different from those mentioned above. The events puzzled the local government. As published by the local news, the body-snatching motive was simply a refusal for COVID-19 burial protocols. Local news also mentioned that this occurred due to insufficient hospital information to the concerned family. Such conditions fueled the family and numbers of people to snatch 5 Julia Bess Frank, “Body Snatching: A Grave Medical Problem,” Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 49, no. 4 (1976): 399. 6 Ibid., 401. 7 Ibid., 406. 8 Dwi Andona Sabatian, “Tinjauan Yuridis, Kriminologis, Dan Empiris Tentang Kasus Pencurian Mayat Di Purbalingga Dan Cilacap,” Jurnal Ilmu Hukum: Fakultas Hukum Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta 53, no. 9 (2014): 48–49, file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/fvm939e.pdf%0Ahttp://eprints.ums.ac.id/37454/17/NASKAH PUBLIKASI_FULL TEXT.pdf. 9 Ibid., 47–48. 10 Ibid., 46–50. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ariesta Wibisono Anditya, ariesta.wa@gmail.com Citation: Anditya, A.W. (2021). COVID-19 Body Snatching in Indonesia: Ancient Crime in Modern Time. Academia Letters, Article 1111. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1111. 2 the bodies from the hospital’s morgue. The surviving family wanted to hold a funeral of the deceased relative of coronavirus for proper burial, dovetailing family tradition. The family also distressed that they could neither see nor visit their relative once the hospital decides to undergo sterile coronavirus treatment until interment if the patient passes away.11 During this challenging time of coronavirus pandemic, Jokowi declared State Health Emergency followed by the forced enaction of Law Number 6 of 2018 concerning Health Quarantine.12 This law should fit the specified crime of local body-snatching incidents but not focus on body removal per se. It focused mainly on the risk of potential coronavirus transmission that could endanger others and obstruct the quarantine implementation. Sanction of this violation is sentenced to jail for a maximum of one year of imprisonment or fined for a maximum of one hundred million rupiahs or both. Moreover, police officers found that the snatchers came in numbers of people and seen carrying a sharp weapon. As shown in the media, they stormed the morgue against the police officers and taking along the dead body of their relative, including the hospital’s deathbed. These actions exhibit the apparent sample of crimes against public authority and crimes against personal liberty. Police officers successfully apprehend some of the suspects, now tested them for coronavirus, taking necessary treatments, then proceed with the law after the suspects pass the test. The disorientation incited their actions on the current news about today’s novel virus circulated in the media. Compared to the rise of body snatchers of the ancient 18th century, the demanding medical institution was encouraged while it’s a different situation now in Indonesia. Obtaining human bodies for dissection was only allowed by the execution of criminals. The increasing dissection need for newly established medic schools and the shortage supply of human corpses had driven people to make for living by snatching bodies. It was suspenseful until the passing of the Anatomical Act in 1832. Since the passing, the only way to procure human bodies was from executed criminals, unidentified bodies of prisoners or workers, and voluntarily donated bodies. On the other hand, the principal motive of body snatch conduct in Indonesia purely driven by tradition.13 The heterogenic and plural characteristic of Indonesian culture 11 “Indonesian Police Battle Wave of ‘body Snatching’ by Coronavirus Victims’ Grieving Relatives, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times.” 12 Hafidz Mubarak, “Jokowi Declares COVID-19 Health Emergency, Imposes Large-Scale Social Restrictions - National - The Jakarta Post,” March 31, 2020. 13 Hudri and Yudantiasa, “Tradisi ‘Makkuluhuwallah’ Dalam Ritual Kematian Suku Bugis”; Dinia Agustia Artika Sari, “Selametan Kematian Di Desa Jaweng Kabupaten Boyolali,” Haluan Sastra Budaya 1, no. 2 (2018): 147, doi:10.20961/hsb.v1i2.15188; Aufa, “MEMAKNAI KEMATIAN DALAM UPACARA KEMATIAN DI JAWA.” Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ariesta Wibisono Anditya, ariesta.wa@gmail.com Citation: Anditya, A.W. (2021). COVID-19 Body Snatching in Indonesia: Ancient Crime in Modern Time. Academia Letters, Article 1111. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1111. 3 combined with religious belief has caused the body snatch phenomenon.14 At a time of a pandemic like today, body snatchings currently trending in Indonesia have neither a compelling connection to the ancient one in medical purpose nor the crimes-related aftermath. Nevertheless, as novel coronavirus strikes, which eminent for its fatality caused and rapid transmission among humans, body snatching would potentially increase virus transmission risk and considered a crime to put the health of others in jeopardy. Indonesia should not need any novel regulations concerning the body-snatching of a coronavirus victim. Solutions to diminish the body-snatching incidents recur firstly, establishing valuable and positive communication to the society regarding pandemic, secondly implementing a strict-regulated funeral attendance protocol to the family.15 The latter is to honor death as a prominent life stage that Indonesian people majorly cherish. REFERENCES Aufa, Ari Abi. “MEMAKNAI KEMATIAN DALAM UPACARA KEMATIAN DI JAWA.” An-Nas: Jurnal Humaniora 1, no. 1 (2017). Frank, Julia Bess. “Body Snatching: A Grave Medical Problem.” Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 49, no. 4 (1976): 399–410. Hendrajaya, Jerry, and Amru Almu’tasim. “Tradisi Selamatan Kematian Nyatus Nyewu: Implikasi Nilai Pluralisme Islam Jawa.” Jurnal Lektur Keagamaan 17, no. 2 (2020): 431–60. doi:10.31291/jlk.v17i2.756. Hudri, Misbah, and Muhammad Radya Yudantiasa. “Tradisi ‘Makkuluhuwallah’ Dalam Ritual Kematian Suku Bugis.” MAGHZA: Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Tafsir 3, no. 2 (2018): 228–41. doi:10.24090/maghza.v3i2.2136. “Indonesian Police Battle Wave of ‘body Snatching’ by Coronavirus Victims’ Grieving Relatives, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times.” The Strait Times, June 12, 2020. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesian-police-battle-wave-of-bodysnatching-by-coronavirus-victims-grieving. Marzuki, Basri. “Mataram Izinkan Keluarga Ikut Pemulasaran Jenazah Corona,” July 14, 2020. https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20200714145501-20-524518/mataram-izinkankeluarga-ikut-pemulasaran-jenazah-corona. 14 15 Sari, “Selametan Kematian Di Desa Jaweng Kabupaten Boyolali.” Basri Marzuki, “Mataram Izinkan Keluarga Ikut Pemulasaran Jenazah Corona,” July 14, 2020. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ariesta Wibisono Anditya, ariesta.wa@gmail.com Citation: Anditya, A.W. (2021). COVID-19 Body Snatching in Indonesia: Ancient Crime in Modern Time. Academia Letters, Article 1111. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1111. 4 Massola, James, and Amilia Rosa. “Coronavirus: Indonesia’s COVID-19 Body Snatchers Risk Catching Virus,” June 29, 2020. https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/body-snatchingfamilies-risk-catching-coronavirus-to-perform-final-rites-20200629-p557aa.html. Mubarak, Hafidz. “Jokowi Declares COVID-19 Health Emergency, Imposes Large-Scale Social Restrictions - National - The Jakarta Post,” March 31, 2020. https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/03/31/ declares-covid-19-health-emergency-imposes-large-scale-social-restrictions.html. Sabatian, Dwi Andona. “Tinjauan Yuridis, Kriminologis, Dan Empiris Tentang Kasus Pencurian Mayat Di Purbalingga Dan Cilacap.” Jurnal Ilmu Hukum: Fakultas Hukum Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta 53, no. 9 (2014): 13–15. file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/fvm939e.pdf%0Ahttp://e PUBLIKASI_FULL TEXT.pdf. Sari, Dinia Agustia Artika. “Selametan Kematian Di Desa Jaweng Kabupaten Boyolali.” Haluan Sastra Budaya 1, no. 2 (2018): 147. doi:10.20961/hsb.v1i2.15188. Academia Letters, June 2021 ©2021 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0 Corresponding Author: Ariesta Wibisono Anditya, ariesta.wa@gmail.com Citation: Anditya, A.W. (2021). COVID-19 Body Snatching in Indonesia: Ancient Crime in Modern Time. Academia Letters, Article 1111. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1111. 5