Parents of Indonesian children sickened by free school meals file police complaint
Calls for criminal charges are the latest blow to Indonesia’s nutrition scheme, already hit by alleged corruption and over 50,000 food poisoning cases.
Sixty Indonesian parents have lodged a police complaint against their government's free school meal program, claiming it has sickened thousands of children. The parents argue the program is financially and logistically unsustainable after it has already been linked to over 50,000 cases of food poisoning. The complaint, filed on August 31 but reported on August 31, also alleges negligence, mismanagement and corruption in the program's implementation.
At least 300 students in North Sumatra's Karo region fell ill after eating the meals in mid-August, with some requiring hospitalization. The complaint calls for an investigation and potential criminal charges against the National Nutrition Agency, the meal preparers and the schools. The parents plan to pursue a separate lawsuit against the government.
The initiative, a key campaign pledge, has already seen its budget reduced and two program chiefs replaced, one of whom is in police custody facing corruption charges.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Parents of Indonesian children sickened by free school meals file police complaint freemalaysiatoday.com
