'Kids' safety comes before money, job'

'Kids' safety comes before money, job'

Police have been investigating abduction cases for four months
now, but have yet to find out who all the perpetrators and
victims might be. The latest occurrence was in Serpong,
Tangerang, in which the kidnappers demanded a Rp 4 billion ransom
for a child's safe return. Such crimes have sparked fear among
parents here.The Jakarta Post asked some city residents about
possible threats. They responded that safety was the main
priority, despite ransom demands.

Sisca, 30, is a housewife with two children who lives in
Ciganjur, South Jakarta. Her husband works for a multinational
tobacco company in South Jakarta:

I know that there have been many kidnappings from TV and
newspaper reports. I'm full of sympathy for parents whose
children have been kidnapped.

I'd worry if it happened to my children. Fortunately, my
babysitter accompanies my youngest daughter to her kindergarten,
while her brother uses a pickup service, together with his
schoolmates.

I tell them to be extra-vigilant at school and avoid
encounters with strangers. Schools have been a hotbed for
kidnappers, right?

If it happened to my children, I'd report it to the local
police to deal with, despite the financial burden it would place
on the police service.

I would struggle as best I could to ensure my children were
safe, for otherwise their lives would be at risk. Their safety is
more important than money.

In this respect, I guess banks should cooperate with the
police to track down kidnappers via their bank accounts.

Regrettably, banks here are sometimes not very willing to
disclose the identity of account holders due to their internal
regulations.

I hope that the perpetrators are arrested; they should be
punished severely, but the death penalty is not usually given.
Such harsh punishment would be an effective deterrent to would-be
perpetrators, I think.

Henny, 31, is a housewife who lives in Kota Legenda, Bekasi,
with her husband and two children:

I worry so much about rampant child kidnapping. I have two
small children at school.

My husband tried to employ a male domestic servant, but I
didn't agree. I was scared that such a person could be a
potential rapist and abuse my kids sexually.

I don't trust housemaids, as I had a nightmarish experience
last year: My maid used to bite my children when I was at work.

I must admit that TV crime reports now show a clearer picture
of a variety of sadistic crimes -- they worry me.

I decided to quit my job as a teacher a month ago due to the
worry. A job is nothing compared with my children's safety.

Every morning I take my youngest daughter to school, while my
son is taken by school bus. That relieves me.

I'd have no idea what to do if I had to deal with criminals
who'd kidnapped my kids. I don't have enough money to fulfill a
ransom demand. I'd have to rely on my husband to secure their
release as he's the breadwinner.

Worse still, we can hardly rely on the police, given their
poor performance. They work seriously only when a case is
financially beneficial for them.

I suggest that convicted kidnappers should be dealt the
maximum penalty so as to prevent the occurrence of other cases.

Amin, 36, is an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver in Palmerah,
Central Jakarta. He lives in Jl. Gelora, Central Jakarta, with
his wife and two children:

As a father, I can't deny I'm scared now that kidnapping seems
to be getting widespread.

I have a daughter who's still at elementary school. One of her
classmates was once kidnapped at school and the crooks stole some
valuables from her.

Therefore, I make the effort to pick my daughter up after
school. But she knows what to do if she meets a stranger who
might commit a crime.

I can't just leave her on her own without keeping a watchful
eye on her. I reckon that adults are often unaware of danger, let
alone mere kids.

Like it or not, we'd report it to the local police if it
happened to my family. I'm sure they'd have the know-how to
handle such things, regardless of their poor performance.

Despite the difficulties, I'm sure instances of abduction can
be thoroughly investigated. If it involved a bank in the transfer
of a ransom payment, it should cooperate in tracing the suspects.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.