Little Aresha Daycare Child Abuse Case: Suspects Rise to 32

Yogyakarta City Police have again named several new suspects in the alleged child abuse and neglect case involving Daycare Little Aresha. The head of the Women and Children Protection Unit at the Yogyakarta City Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Iptu Apri Sawitri, stated that police recently named five new suspects in connection with this alleged case. Apri explained that three of the suspects previously held the status of witnesses or persons under examination. The three are two kindergarten teachers at Little Aresha and one caregiver. “These three individuals are part of the 17 people previously examined as witnesses. When we named the 14 suspects in the second batch, these three were not yet included, and now they have been named as suspects,” Apri said when contacted on Monday (27/7). The investigation into these three individuals then led to the naming of two other suspects. The two are a caregiver and a household staff member employed under the Little Aresha Foundation. Apri stated that, based on the results of the in-depth investigation, the two kindergarten teachers named as suspects are alleged to have played different roles. One is suspected of committing acts of violence, and the other is suspected of allowing the incidents to occur. Meanwhile, the two caregivers and one household staff member are suspected of also committing acts of violence against children. “Thus, the total number of suspects in this alleged case amounts to 32 people,” Apri said. The total of 32 suspects includes: the initial 13 suspects whose status was determined at the end of April 2026, then 14 suspects in the second batch in early July, and 5 new suspects. The initial group of suspects includes the foundation chairman with the initials DK and the school principal, AP. Also included are FN, NF, LIS, EN, SRM, DR, HP, JA, SRJ, DO, and DM, who acted as caregivers. The legal process for the initial 13 suspects has entered the prosecution stage after their case files were declared complete, or P21. They will soon be brought to trial. The Yogyakarta District Prosecutor’s Office stated that the suspects’ case files have been grouped into three: the foundation chairman, the school principal, and the 11 caregivers, according to their respective charges. The foundation chairman, with the initials DK, is charged under Article 71 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 62 paragraph 1 of Law Number 20/2023 on the National Education System in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code. Secondly, Article 62 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 9 paragraph 1 letter e of Law Number 8/1999 on Consumer Protection in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code. Thirdly, Article 77 in conjunction with Article 76a of Law Number 35/2014 as amended and supplemented by Law Number 17/2016 on the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1/2016 on the Second Amendment to Law Number 23/2002 on Child Protection in conjunction with Article 20c of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 126 paragraph 1 of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code. Or, Article 77g in conjunction with Article 76b of Law Number 35/2014. Or, Article 80 paragraph 1 of the Child Protection Law. A similar series of articles was applied to the school principal, with the initials API alias N, who allegedly played a role almost identical to DK in this case. Meanwhile, the caregivers are charged under Article 76, Article 77 in conjunction with Article 76a or Article 77b in conjunction with Article 76b or Article 80 paragraph 1 in conjunction with Article 76c of Law Number 35/2014 concerning Amendments to Law Number 23/2002 on Child Protection, as last amended by Law Number 17/2016 on the Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1/2016 on the Second Amendment to Law Number 23/2002 on Child Protection, which has become law, in conjunction with Article 20 of Law Number 1/2023 on the Criminal Code. The 14 suspects in the second batch consist of ten caregivers, two administrative staff members, a security guard, and one household staff member.