Indonesian boy faces jail for bee sting prank

A prank has had serious repercussions for an Indonesian boy facing criminal charges because he caused a classmate to be stung by a bee.

The third-grade student - whose age was not given but who would be about seven or eight years old - was being tried at the Surabaya District Court in East Java.

The boy was alleged to have stuck a bee on the cheek of a female classmate as they returned home from school in March last year. Her father then filed a police report.



The prosecutor in the case said the boy was accused of violating the Indonesian Criminal Code by committing "severe abuse that led to an injury." This could result in a maximum penalty of a 32-month jail sentence.

The boy, whose name was not given, has not appeared in court because he is depressed and afraid.

Edward Carwardine, spokesman in Indonesia for UNICEF, the U.N. Children's Fund, said the criminal age of responsibility in Indonesia was eight years. However, there are proposals in place for this to be raised to 12 years.