KPAI: Child Abuse Case at Little Aresha Daycare in Yogyakarta is the Largest in the Last Three Years

Yogyakarta, VIVA – The Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) has stated that the case of child abuse and neglect at a daycare in Yogyakarta City is the largest problematic daycare case handled by the agency in the last three years. “We have recorded this as the fifth complaint for problematic daycare cases over the past three years across Indonesia. And this is an extraordinary case handled by the Yogyakarta Police Resort,” said KPAI Commissioner Diyah Puspitarini during a press conference at the Yogyakarta Police Resort on Monday. According to her, the child abuse and neglect case at Little Aresha Daycare in Yogyakarta is the fifth complaint in three years, making it a major case due to the number of victims and the 13 individuals already designated as suspects by the police. “And we appreciate KPAI Yogyakarta, as well as the Yogyakarta Special Region Government (Pemda DIY) and all parties including the Mayor of Yogyakarta, because among the cases handled by KPAI, this has the highest number of victims nationwide,” she said. She mentioned that previous problematic daycare cases were in Depok, West Java; then in Pekanbaru, Riau; followed by one in Tebet, East Jakarta; and another in South Jakarta, with this Yogyakarta case being the fifth. “KPAI hopes that in accordance with the Child Protection Law, first, the legal process must be swift, and second, the children must receive protection,” she said. According to her, there are a total of 103 children cared for at the Yogyakarta daycare, with 53 of them suspected to be victims of abuse, but all children must receive prompt and proper psychosocial support from the Yogyakarta City Government (Pemkot). “Then, in accordance with the Child Protection Law, they must receive social assistance and legal protection,” she said. Diyah stated that the current and previous problematic daycare cases handled typically lack permits. Even at this Yogyakarta daycare, KPAI found indications of improper standard operating procedures (SOP). “There are guidelines implemented by the daycare suggesting that the suspected abuse occurred systematically and in a structured manner, as it was carried out by more than three, four, or even 10 people,” she said.