Baby Abandoned in Sleman Identified as University Students
The two individuals responsible for abandoning a baby girl, who was found in front of a resident’s house in Selomartani, Kalasan, Sleman on Sunday (27/9), have been identified as a male and female university student who are in a relationship. They admitted to being confused after failing to secure a childcare placement, leading them to abandon the infant.
“The original intention was not to abandon the child; they had searched for a childcare facility but were rejected because it was full,” said Iptu Cahya Fitria, Head of the PPA Unit of the Sleman Police Criminal Investigation Unit, during a press conference at the Sleman Police Headquarters on Wednesday (7/10/2026).
“Ultimately, while on their journey, they were unsure where to place the baby, which led to the idea of leaving the infant on a chair near the childcare facility. The idea came from the male,” she added.
Cahya revealed the identities of the two suspects: a female student, VN (22), and a male student, FI (24). Both attend the same private university in Yogyakarta but are from different academic years. The suspects are not locals; the male is from Sumatra, while the female is from East Java.
Officers from the PPA Unit of the Sleman Police Criminal Investigation Unit successfully arrested both suspects on 3<0xA0>September 2026. They are currently being held at the Police Headquarters detention centre. They were apprehended at the same boarding house where they were residing together.
Cahya explained that the suspects were struggling to find childcare because the families of both individuals were unaware of the baby’s birth. The infant was born normally at a private hospital in the Yogyakarta area on 22 September 2026, a fact unknown to both families until the incident.
Before abandoning the baby in front of the resident’s house on Sunday (27/9), the suspects had travelled in a white Honda Jazz belonging to the male suspect, which has been seized as evidence.
The unnamed baby has since been handed over to and is being cared for by the female suspect’s family. “The child was previously treated in a hospital. We then contacted the family and cooperated with the Social Services Department to hand the baby over to the family, who are currently caring for her,” said Cahya.
Previously, the seven-day-old baby, the result of a relationship between the two suspects, was discovered on a chair in front of a house in Ngrangsang, Selomartani, Kalasan, Sleman, on Sunday (27/9) at approximately 1:30 PM WIB. The homeowner first discovered the infant after becoming suspicious of a crying sound. Upon investigating, the homeowner found the baby lying on a chair alongside a bag containing baby supplies.
“There was a piece of paper containing the child’s identity, including the date of birth, gender, and weight. The baby does not yet have a name,” explained Cahya.
After finding the infant, the homeowner, who serves as the first witness, called a second witness. The baby was taken to the Kalasan Community Health Centre (Puskesmas) for medical treatment, and the witnesses subsequently reported the incident to the Kalasan Police.
The two suspects are facing multiple charges. First, Article 429 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of category IV. Second, Article 76B in conjunction with Article 77 B of Law Number 35 of 2014 regarding the amendment of Law Number 23 of 2002 on Child Protection, which carries a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 100 million Rupiah.