Economic Hardship: Married Couple in Palembang Sell Newborn Baby for 52 Million Rupiah via Social Media

A married couple in Palembang, South Sumatra, with the initials HA (31) and S (27), sold their baby for 52 million rupiah on social media. The couple sold their child due to economic factors.

“Economic factors; preliminary investigations suggest this is the first time they have sold a child, but we will investigate further. The father played a greater role, such as posting and publicising the sale,” said AKBP Rizka Aprianti, Head of the PPA-PPO Sub-Directorate of the PPA-PPO Directorate of the South Sumatra Regional Police, as reported by detikSumbagsel on Wednesday (25 February 2026).

Rizka said that they have currently secured the baby’s father. Meanwhile, his wife remains a witness and is caring for the baby, who is only three days old.

“Currently, the baby is being cared for by family members, and the mother is with the baby. This is because the baby is only three days old and needs breast milk and parental support,” she said.

The baby’s father, HA, admitted to his actions. He said that the baby was their fourth child.

“Yes, that is my child. We haven’t named her yet; she is a girl. I can’t afford to support two children, plus the cost of schooling,” he said in front of the police.

This case was uncovered during a cyber patrol conducted by officers from the PPA-PPO Directorate of the South Sumatra Regional Police. Officers found an offer for illegal adoption on social media made by the two perpetrators. Subsequently, an informant responded to the offer and expressed interest in adopting the child after it was born.

Read the full story here.

(wnv/wnv)