'Kids' safety comes before money, job'<\/p>\n
Police have been investigating abduction cases for four months
\nnow, but have yet to find out who all the perpetrators and
\nvictims might be. The latest occurrence was in Serpong,
\nTangerang, in which the kidnappers demanded a Rp 4 billion ransom
\nfor a child's safe return. Such crimes have sparked fear among
\nparents here.The Jakarta Post asked some city residents about
\npossible threats. They responded that safety was the main
\npriority, despite ransom demands.<\/p>\n
Sisca, 30, is a housewife with two children who lives in
\nCiganjur, South Jakarta. Her husband works for a multinational
\ntobacco company in South Jakarta:<\/p>\n
I know that there have been many kidnappings from TV and
\nnewspaper reports. I'm full of sympathy for parents whose
\nchildren have been kidnapped.<\/p>\n
I'd worry if it happened to my children. Fortunately, my
\nbabysitter accompanies my youngest daughter to her kindergarten,
\nwhile her brother uses a pickup service, together with his
\nschoolmates.<\/p>\n
I tell them to be extra-vigilant at school and avoid
\nencounters with strangers. Schools have been a hotbed for
\nkidnappers, right?<\/p>\n
If it happened to my children, I'd report it to the local
\npolice to deal with, despite the financial burden it would place
\non the police service.<\/p>\n
I would struggle as best I could to ensure my children were
\nsafe, for otherwise their lives would be at risk. Their safety is
\nmore important than money.<\/p>\n
In this respect, I guess banks should cooperate with the
\npolice to track down kidnappers via their bank accounts.<\/p>\n
Regrettably, banks here are sometimes not very willing to
\ndisclose the identity of account holders due to their internal
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
I hope that the perpetrators are arrested; they should be
\npunished severely, but the death penalty is not usually given.
\nSuch harsh punishment would be an effective deterrent to would-be
\nperpetrators, I think.<\/p>\n
Henny, 31, is a housewife who lives in Kota Legenda, Bekasi,
\nwith her husband and two children:<\/p>\n
I worry so much about rampant child kidnapping. I have two
\nsmall children at school.<\/p>\n
My husband tried to employ a male domestic servant, but I
\ndidn't agree. I was scared that such a person could be a
\npotential rapist and abuse my kids sexually.<\/p>\n
I don't trust housemaids, as I had a nightmarish experience
\nlast year: My maid used to bite my children when I was at work.<\/p>\n
I must admit that TV crime reports now show a clearer picture
\nof a variety of sadistic crimes -- they worry me.<\/p>\n
I decided to quit my job as a teacher a month ago due to the
\nworry. A job is nothing compared with my children's safety.<\/p>\n
Every morning I take my youngest daughter to school, while my
\nson is taken by school bus. That relieves me.<\/p>\n
I'd have no idea what to do if I had to deal with criminals
\nwho'd kidnapped my kids. I don't have enough money to fulfill a
\nransom demand. I'd have to rely on my husband to secure their
\nrelease as he's the breadwinner.<\/p>\n
Worse still, we can hardly rely on the police, given their
\npoor performance. They work seriously only when a case is
\nfinancially beneficial for them.<\/p>\n
I suggest that convicted kidnappers should be dealt the
\nmaximum penalty so as to prevent the occurrence of other cases.<\/p>\n
Amin, 36, is an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver in Palmerah,
\nCentral Jakarta. He lives in Jl. Gelora, Central Jakarta, with
\nhis wife and two children:<\/p>\n
As a father, I can't deny I'm scared now that kidnapping seems
\nto be getting widespread.<\/p>\n
I have a daughter who's still at elementary school. One of her
\nclassmates was once kidnapped at school and the crooks stole some
\nvaluables from her.<\/p>\n
Therefore, I make the effort to pick my daughter up after
\nschool. But she knows what to do if she meets a stranger who
\nmight commit a crime.<\/p>\n
I can't just leave her on her own without keeping a watchful
\neye on her. I reckon that adults are often unaware of danger, let
\nalone mere kids.<\/p>\n
Like it or not, we'd report it to the local police if it
\nhappened to my family. I'm sure they'd have the know-how to
\nhandle such things, regardless of their poor performance.<\/p>\n
Despite the difficulties, I'm sure instances of abduction can
\nbe thoroughly investigated. If it involved a bank in the transfer
\nof a ransom payment, it should cooperate in tracing the suspects.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kids-safety-comes-before-money-job-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }