Baby Allegedly Abandoned by Sibling in Pasar Minggu Could Be Adopted Via Court Proceedings

JAKARTA – A baby who was allegedly abandoned by an elder sibling in Pejaten Barat, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, has been taken to a Child Welfare Home in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

The head of the South Jakarta City Social Service Office, Bernard Tambunan, said the baby is eligible for adoption. Prospective adoptive parents can submit an application to Panti Sosial Asuhan Anak Tunas Bangsa.

‘Those interested should first visit the home, then fill out the administrative clearance and application forms, and so on,’ Bernard said when contacted on Thursday, 5 March 2026.

‘The procedure is at the home as well, of course through a court hearing. The children’s home staff will explain because there are many steps involved,’ he added.

Earlier reports showed a baby wrapped in blue clothing and a blue baby blanket was found inside a black plastic shopping bag in a nasi uduk cart at the end of a narrow alley on Jalan Pejaten Raya, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.

Initially, the baby’s cries were heard by a resident named Dinda (20) who was on the second floor of her house. She searched for the source and found a shopping bag containing the baby and its belongings.

‘The witness checked inside the shopping bag and saw a baby girl lying on her side, wearing a blue teddy bear-print outfit and wrapped in a baby blanket,’ said Pasar Minggu Police Chief, Kompol Anggiat Sinambela, in a statement on Tuesday.

Along with the baby were infant formula in a red-topped carton, wet wipes, blue gloves, and a note.

The letter is believed to have been written by the baby’s elder sibling, identified as Z (12). In the note, Z wrote that their mother had died.

‘Assalamualaikum, Sir/Madam who found my younger sister, I, Zidan, would like to ask you to care for my younger sister, because my mother died during childbirth; please treat her as your own child, because I will not be able to find or visit her again; I do not want her future to be like mine. Thank you,’ the letter reads.