Bullied Christian Boy Dies

Second-grader Khristopel Butarbutar, who was part of a Christian tribal group on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, came home from school on May 19, 2025, injured and in pain. He had been beaten by five older Muslim boys in his school, the culmination of a week of bullying that included taunting him about his Christian faith. Khristopel continued to suffer and weaken physically, and his parents took him to the hospital, where he died on May 26. The autopsy showed the cause of death as a ruptured appendix, which may or may not have been the result of the beating, but the autopsy also showed internal bleeding and bruises that were consistent with blunt force trauma. Ask the Lord to comfort Khristopel’s family and for the Holy Spirit to lead the young assailants to repent and come to faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for our youngest brothers and sisters in Christ who, like Khristopel, also pay a high price for bearing Christ’s name.

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