A Christian cemetery has been reported desecrated by primary school children in Surakarta in the central Java province of Indonesia early this week.
The age of the perpetrators — children between nine and 12 years of age — raises concern for authorities, said a report by AsiaNews.
Past incidents of attacks on places of worship or cemeteries had been perpetrated by adults, mobsters or members of extremist groups.
Father Heri Wibowo, executive secretary of the Inter-religious Commission of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, said the young perpetrators could not be charged.
“They can be ‘scolded’ by their parents who have the task of directing them,” said the priest.
“If these acts are perpetrated by adults, then those who have ‘engineered’ these operations must be prosecuted,” he said.
At least 12 graves at Cemoro Kembar Cemetery in Mojo, in Pasar Kliwon, in the center of the city of Surakarta, were desecrated.
City Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka has expressed solidarity with the Christian community and urged authorities to ensure that “those responsible be punished.”
He also ordered the closure of the school where the students attended.
