Key facts
- Parents filed a police complaint on August 31 over children falling ill from free school meals.
- At least 300 students in North Sumatra fell sick in mid-August after consuming the meals.
- The complaint targets the National Nutrition Agency, meal kitchens, and distributing schools.
- Police are awaiting forensic test results and questioning witnesses.
- The program is President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiative, budgeted at 229 trillion rupiah ($13 billion).
- One of the program's former chiefs is in police custody facing corruption charges.
Parents of Indonesian children who fell ill after consuming free government-funded school meals have filed a police complaint, marking the first legal challenge to President Prabowo Subianto's flagship program. The complaint, filed on August 31 and shared with media on Thursday, targets the National Nutrition Agency, meal kitchens, and schools involved in distributing the food.
At least 300 students at several high schools in North Sumatra fell sick in mid-August after eating the meals, with some requiring hospitalization. Fitri Sijabat, a mother representing the complainants, told Reuters that her daughter has been hospitalized four times since consuming the meal. The parents' lawyer, Aslia Sijabat, stated that no specific individuals have been named and no specific criminal provision has been invoked, but the complaint calls for an investigation into alleged negligence, the naming of suspects, criminal charges, and financial compensation.
This incident is one of many mass food-poisoning cases reported across Indonesia in recent weeks, with over 2,000 individuals falling sick last week alone. The program, a key campaign pledge of President Subianto, is the most expensive social program in the G20 economy, with a budget of 229 trillion rupiah ($13 billion). However, it has faced budget cuts and leadership changes, with one former program chief already facing corruption charges. Local police are awaiting forensic test results on food samples and are questioning students, teachers, and a nutritionist as part of their investigation. The parents are also preparing a separate lawsuit against the government.