Three arrested for child trafficking<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police arrested over the weekend three Indonesian women
\nand are still hunting down two foreigners -- one American and one
\nIrish citizen -- for their alleged roles in trafficking at least
\n60 babies out of the country in recent years.<\/p>\n
City police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Bagus Ekodanto announced
\non Monday that they had arrested three women identified as RDN,
\nMRT and ER for persuading poor mothers around their neighborhood
\nin Ciputat, South Jakarta, to sell their children to foreigners.<\/p>\n
"RDN has admitted to us that she sold between 60 to 80 babies
\nto foreigners over the past few years. RDN is the main suspect,
\nwhile MRT and ER helped her," Bagus said.<\/p>\n
Bagus said the U.S. citizen identified as JW had acted as a
\nmiddleman, contacting foreigners who wanted to adopt Indonesian
\nchildren, while an Irishman identified as Joseph Dowse was one of
\nthe foreigners who adopted an Indonesian baby from the three
\nwomen.<\/p>\n
He said that JW was still in Indonesia, while Dowse had left
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said
\nthat surveillance over the trafficking case had begun in 2004
\nwhen his office investigated the adoption of Tristan alias Erwin
\nby Dowse.<\/p>\n
Dowse adopted Erwin from his mother Suryani through the South
\nJakarta Court and the Irish government officially declared Erwin
\nan Irish citizen in 2001.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said that Dowse later neglected the child when his
\nwife was pregnant.<\/p>\n
"Dowse left Erwin in an orphanage and went abroad. The couple
\nthen asked the Irish government to take away Erwin's status as
\ntheir child. The Irish government rejected the plea," Bachtiar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Concerned over Erwin's welfare, the ministry investigated the
\ncase and found out that many other children had been sold by RDN.<\/p>\n
RDN, helped by MRT and ER, approached pregnant women in poor
\nareas and persuaded them to give up their children, and reported
\nto JW if a mother was willing to sell her child.<\/p>\n
On the promise that a foreigner would look after their
\nchildren better, many mothers gave up their children.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said the suspects would pay most of the mothers
\naround Rp 1 million (US$105) for a baby, who they sold for
\nbetween Rp 40 million and Rp 50 million.<\/p>\n
The three women are now being detained at the city police
\nheadquarters.<\/p>\n
Bachtiar said that police had sufficient evidence, including
\neight child victims of trafficking, documents detailing child
\ntransactions, pictures and JW's written statement, to bring the
\ncase to court.<\/p>\n
"We have taken care of the eight children in our orphanage in
\nCipayung (East Jakarta). We are still tracking down other
\nchildren. We will find their mothers and ask them if they want to
\nrear their children. If they can't afford them, the state will
\ntake care of them," he said.<\/p>\n
All of the suspects will be charged under several articles of
\nLaw No. 23\/2002 on child trafficking and the Criminal Code, and
\ncould face a maximum punishment of 15 years' imprisonment if
\nfound guilty.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-arrested-for-child-trafficking-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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