Police investigate illegal adoptions<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Working on a tip, the Jakarta Police and the City Social Agency
\nhave opened an investigation into a foundation that allegedly
\nplaced more than 100 children in illegal adoptions.<\/p>\n
\"We are searching for more information but we haven't named
\nany suspect yet,\" city police detectives chief Sr. Comr. Mathius
\nSalempang said on Thursday. He refused to identify the
\nfoundation.<\/p>\n
According to media reports, the City Social Agency has
\nrecently closed two orphanage run by the Pancaran Kasih
\nFoundation, which has been operating for 20 years. The agency
\nalso took over 20 babies under the age of two and 77 school-aged
\nchildren from the orphanages.<\/p>\n
The agency's head of children affairs, Afrinaldi, confirmed
\nthe reports but refused to confirm the details.<\/p>\n
Police sources said the social agency filed a police report on
\nWednesday after its official partner in providing adoptions, the
\nSayap Ibu Foundation, informed it of an unregistered foundation
\nin Kampung Ambon, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
According to the report, a Sayap Ibu employee, Sucipto, met
\nwith a Singaporean in early November who was considering adopting
\na four-month-old girl from Pancaran Kasih.<\/p>\n
Following up on the report, two social agency officials
\npretended to be a couple looking to adopt a baby. They went to
\nthe foundation's office in East Jakarta on Nov. 6.<\/p>\n
They were told to contact the foundation owner, who could
\narrange the adoption documents for them. However, the officials
\nwere unable to reach her.<\/p>\n
The social agency on Thursday took nine babies aged between
\ntwo and four weeks and 33 school-aged children from the Kampung
\nAmbon premises, and another 11 babies aged between two months and
\ntwo years and 44 school-aged children from the foundation's other
\norphanage in Cinere, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police arrested two people in June and charged them with being
\nmembers of a syndicate trafficking babies to Singapore. There are
\nno indications these two are connected to this latest case.<\/p>\n
Many would-be parents prefer to adopt babies illegally because
\nof the lengthy process of legal adoptions.<\/p>\n
Afrinaldi said the lengthy procedures, stipulated in a 1993
\nministerial decree, were required to protect the children.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-investigate-illegal-adoptions-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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