The viral video of the corpse of a COVID-19 patient in Probolinggo, East Java, with a face full of blood and missing eyeball, has been clarified as hoax.
The declaration was made by the law enforcement coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force in Probolinggo, Ugas Irwanto.
“We have investigated and found that the patient had a history of stroke and hypertension. It caused the blood vessels in the head to burst, causing bleeding in a number of parts,” explained Ugas.
The 49-year-old woman, initials MH, who was seen in the video is a resident of Alastengah Village in Probolinggo Regency. In the 13-second amateur video, dozens of people were heard screaming and crying hysterically.
The body arrived at the Baitul Mustaqim prayer room in front of the deceased’s house to conduct an examination. Inside the prayer room, the lid of the coffin was opened by the family, with the body bag in a prone position.
After the body bag was turned over and the zipper opened, it turned out to be covered in blood, particularly on the face of the corpse. The body was then washed again by the family in front of the prayer room.
“What is suspected – that there has been an organ removed – is not proven,” explained the Head of Paiton Police, AKP Noer Choiri.
The Probolinggo Police finally arrested the seven perpetrators of hoax spreaders. The seven people consist of six men and one woman.
“We succeeded in securing seven people who were suspected of participating in spreading hoax videos about the positive COVID-19 patient corpse whose eyes had been taken out,” said Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Probolinggo Police, AKP Rizki Santoso.
The family of the deceased patient and representatives of the Probolinggo Regency COVID-19 Handling Task Force accompanied the Head of the Probolinggo Police Criminal Investigation Unit in providing information at the press conference.
“In its development, we will further investigate and trace other perpetrators, as the status of the seven residents who were secured is still limited to witnesses,” Rizki concluded.
Source: Liputan 6