PUBLISHED ONFebruary 24, 2026 8:17 AMBYEsther LamA 12-year-old boy died in Sukabumi, Indonesia on Feb 19 after accusing his stepmother of abusing him, according to local media reports.
The victim, identified as Nizan Shafi, made the confession before he died and claimed he was forced to drink boiling water by his stepmother.
The victim was suspected to have suffered abuse, with various wounds on his body, including burns to his oesophagus after his stepmother allegedly forced him to drink boiling water, reported local media.
In a video interview by Indonesian broadcaster tvOne which went viral online, the victim's father, identified as Anwar Satibi, 38, said he was working in Sukabumi City when his wife called to inform him that his son had a high fever.
Anwar, who recalled the victim being in "good condition" before he left, was shocked to find him covered in blistered and burns when he returned home.
He added that his wife, identified as 46-year-old TR, had claimed the victim's skin would develop blisters when he had a fever.
The victim was taken to Jampangkulon General Hospital on the morning of Feb 19 and later died in the afternoon at around 4pm.
TR later denied the accusations of abuse in an interview, reported detik.com.
She claimed the victim's wounds did not result from violence and that the victim had a history of illnesses.
She alleged that he died of leukemia and autoimmune blood cancer, claiming that "the blisters were caused by internal heat", reported CNN Indonesia.
Anwar said that he wanted his son's body to undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of death, reported KompasTV.
He added: "I can't make accusations carelessly. I can't, I'll be charged with slander. Later I could also be sued by people."
Dr Carles Siagian of the Bhayangkara Hospital, said: "(The victim) was found with burns on his limbs, on his left leg, and several wounds on his back. He also had burns on his lips and nose, suspected to be caused by heat."
Dr Siagian added that the victim's heart and lungs were also found to be swollen although it is unclear if it was due to a pre-existing medical condition.
Sukabumi police criminal investigation unit head Hartono said that an external examination of the victim during the post-mortem revealed abrasions on several parts of his face, neck and limbs, reported CNN Indonesia.
Hartono added that second-degree burns and purplish-red bruises were found on the victim's body, indicating blunt trauma.
Sukabumi police chief Samian said that the police are handling the case with extreme caution and that a total of 16 witnesses have been questioned so far.
Investigations are ongoing.
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