Case of Mother Taping Child in Bantul Resolved Through Family Mediation

The case of a mother who used adhesive tape on her child in Pleret, Bantul, and left them alone in a rented house in Kedaton, has ended in a family settlement. The husband has decided against reporting his wife to the police, opting instead to resolve the matter privately.

Bantul Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Rita Hidayanto, stated that the police mediated between the mother, TKS (25), and her husband, RF (29). The mediation concluded with RF apologising for the public and social media commotion caused by the incident.

“Based on the investigation, the husband, acting as the head of the household and guardian of the victim, does not wish to report the perpetrator—the child’s biological mother—and intends to repair their marriage,” she told reporters on Wednesday night.

RF also stated that he forgives TKS’s actions and that both parties are committed to improving their domestic situation to prevent a recurrence. Consequently, the matter has been settled through family mediation.

Currently, the child is not at the rented premises, as they are being cared for by RF’s family in Patuk, Gunungkidul. The family and the husband believe the incident was caused by psychological distress, specifically ‘baby blues’, resulting from the exhaustion of caring for the child alone.

Previously, police revealed the motive behind the mother taping the child’s hands, feet, and mouth before leaving them alone was to seek ‘refreshment’ and leave the house to relieve stress. Inspector Rita Hidayanto noted that TKS admitted to the act at the Pleret Police Station, claiming the action was a spontaneous response to extreme fatigue from solo parenting, without considering the potential risks to the child.