Tersangka
In short
A person who is believed to have committed a crime but has not yet been proven guilty in a court of law.
In plain words
In legal terms, this is someone under investigation by the police. They are suspected of breaking the law, but they are still innocent until a judge or jury decides otherwise.
A simple example
If a shopkeeper notices money is missing and the police find a person nearby with the cash, that person becomes a tersangka during the investigation.
Why it matters
It is a vital part of the justice system to distinguish between someone being watched and someone being convicted. This protects people from being treated as criminals before all facts are known.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse a tersangka with a convict, who has already been found guilty by a court.