A boy in Indonesia died after allegedly being made to drink boiling water. He didn’t die, however, until after he told police who forced him to do it. According to Nizan Shafi, his stepmother was the one behind the odd demand, but it is still unclear why she made him do it. The stepmom is maintaining her innocence, but the boy’s father, who wasn’t present at the time, is skeptical — most parents would question how their otherwise healthy child suddenly turned up dead once they left.
Police are following up on the boy’s accusation even after his death and can hopefully get to the bottom of things.
The 12-year-old died on February 19, 2026, tvOneNews reported. He allegedly told police his stepmother was his assailant before his death. According to police, his internal organs were damaged from the effects of the hot water. There were also burns all over his body, and it appeared he had blunt force injuries on his face.
The boy’s father, 38-year-old Anwar Satibi, said he was working in Sukabumi City when his wife called and told him his son was running a fever. When he left the home, the boy was allegedly in “good condition.” The father was shocked to return home and find him covered in blisters and burns, per the outlet.
He claimed that his wife, who has only been identified as TR, told him his son’s skin would develop blisters when he had a fever.
Nizan Shafi was taken to a hospital, but he died that afternoon, Asia One reported.
In an interview with police, TR denied the abuse allegations. Instead, she insisted the boy had a history of illness that led to his death. She alleged that he had both an autoimmune blood cancer and leukemia, the outlet reported, citing CNN Indonesia.
Satibi shared that he wants an autopsy conducted to determine his son’s cause of death. “I can’t make accusations carelessly. I can’t, I’ll be charged with slander. Later I could also be sued by people,” he said.
Dr. Carles Siagian of the Bhayangkara Hospital said Shafi “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.” He added that the boy’s lungs and heart were swollen but said that could have been the result of a preexisting medical condition.
Hartono, the head of the Sukabumi police criminal investigation unit, said a postmortem external examination of the boy showed abrasions on parts of his face, neck, and limbs.
He also shared that 16 witnesses have been interviewed during the ongoing investigation. Thus far, it’s unknown if the stepmom will be facing homicide charges in the boy’s death.
