Child Abuse Case at Daycare Prompts MUI Proposal for Mandatory CCTV Access for Parents

The Chair of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for Women, Youth, and Family Affairs, Siti Ma’rifah, has proposed that there should be a mandatory CCTV access requirement for parents at every daycare. This suggestion was made by Ma’rifah in response to the child abuse case that occurred at Little Aresha daycare in Yogyakarta. She encouraged daycare founders and managers to possess competencies and qualifications in child care, evidenced by certification. Siti Ma’rifah reminded that parents should not be denied presence under the pretext of instilling discipline and independence in children, and instead be provided with digital access for supervision. Daycare managers, she stated, are obliged to equip such facilities so that children can be monitored by parents from afar. Furthermore, she requested that the government, which issues daycare permits, proactively inspect daycares operating without licences. This is crucial to ensure no more deviant actions occur in daycares that harm innocent child victims. In addition, she urged parents and the public to be more aware of such cases and not to be easily tempted by cheap daycare services. “One-sided explanations from daycare providers must be immediately followed by observations to verify their truth, and do not hesitate to report if irregularities and violations are found,” she said. The police have named 13 people as suspects and immediately detained them. The suspect designations were made after the Yogyakarta Police Resort held a case review on Saturday night (25/4/2026), following the raid at the incident location. The Head of Public Relations for the DIY Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Pol Ihsan, stated that the suspects come from various elements within the institution, from leadership to caregiving staff. “Certainly, 13 people have been named as suspects, from the school principal, foundation chair, to the caregivers at the location. This could develop further, depending on the investigation progress and additional statements from the suspects,” Ihsan said on Sunday (26/4/2026).