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An Indonesian businessman, Ivan Sugianto, has been charged under child protection laws after a viral video captured him humiliating a 16-year-old boy in Surabaya, sparking nationwide outrage.
The incident occurred on October 21 outside a school in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city. Ivan, in his 40s, confronted the teenager, Ethan, accusing him of calling his son a “poodle” during a basketball game. Accompanied by bodyguards, Ivan demanded an apology in an encounter that quickly escalated.
According to Ethan’s mother, Ira Maria, Ivan forced her son to prostrate himself on the ground and “bark like a dog.” In a statement to local journalists, Ira shared her distress: “I was so scared for my son and myself because [Ivan] had rough-looking thugs with him. I let my son endure public humiliation.”
Although Ira initially believed the matter was resolved, Ivan reportedly demanded further apologies in the form of a video recording and a notarized written statement, which Ethan's parents refused. Days later, a video of the schoolyard humiliation went viral, showing a legally underage teenager being coerced into demeaning acts by a grown man. The footage triggered widespread condemnation on Indonesian social media platforms.
Outrage over the video emboldened Ethan’s family to seek justice. “Our family tried to show good faith by agreeing to another meeting with Ivan, mediated by the school headmaster,” Ira explained. However, she revealed that Ivan continued his verbal abuse, even demanding Ethan to "grovel like a dog" during the mediation.
Source: SCMP
