The Number of Klitih Cases and Perpetrators in Yogyakarta Increased in 2021

The issue of *klitih* has resurfaced after a high school student in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) died as a result of street violence on Sunday (April 3rd).

*Klitih* is a phenomenon uniquely found in the DIY region and its surroundings.

According to criminologist Soeprapto, Drs., of Gadjah Mada University, as reported by *Katadata*, the term *klitih* actually comes from the Javanese phrase *klitah-klitih*, meaning "leisure activities," such as sewing, reading, and so on.

However, *klitih* has recently taken on a negative connotation because the term is often used by a group of teenagers in DIY when committing acts of street violence.

According to the DIY Regional Police, as reported by *Harian Jogja*, the number of *klitih* cases and perpetrators in DIY increased during the 2020-2021 period.

In 2020, the DIY Regional Police recorded 52 *klitih* cases with 91 perpetrators prosecuted. This increased to 58 cases with 102 perpetrators prosecuted throughout 2021.

The DIY Regional Police stated that the majority, or 80, of the *klitih* perpetrators in 2021 were students. The remainder were unemployed.

Following the *klitih* incident on Sunday (April 3rd), the Governor of DIY, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX, requested that the police arrest and prosecute *klitih* perpetrators regardless of age, even if they are teenagers or minors.