MP claims Yogyakarta daycare victims deserve restitution

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) for the Special Region of Yogyakarta electoral district, Subardi, stated that the victims of child abuse and neglect at Little Aresha Daycare in Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta City, deserve restitution. Subardi in Yogyakarta on Tuesday condemned the acts of violence against the infants and hopes for demands for compensation (restitution) in the upcoming trial. “There are 103 babies who are victims and 53 have been verified to have experienced physical violence; this is completely unacceptable. I hope there will be demands for restitution to restore the physical and psychological conditions of the victims,” he said. According to Supreme Court Regulation No. 1 of 2022, restitution is filed by detailing medical, psychological, material, and immaterial losses, and is submitted before the prosecution’s demands are read in court. “So these victims very much deserve restitution, in addition to, of course, layered article threats against the perpetrators,” he said. He stated that restitution applies to serious human rights violations, human trafficking, sexual violence, and crimes against children. Some cases requiring criminal restitution include the Mario Dandy case at the South Jakarta District Court in September 2023, with a sentence of 18 years in prison and restitution of Rp25 billion to the victim. Another case, Aditya Hasibuan at the Medan District Court in August 2023, who was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison and restitution of Rp52.3 million for child abuse. “By regulation, this case meets the criteria for restitution because the victims are infants. The legal basis is the Child Protection Law, and the technical regulations are in Supreme Court Regulation No. 1 of 2022,” said Mbah Bardi. Nevertheless, Subardi hopes that law enforcement agencies and the Yogyakarta Special Region’s Women’s and Children’s Protection Service will delve into the background of this case. There are supervisory instruments that must be implemented regarding child protection standards in daycares, not merely commercialisation. “I appreciate the courage of the victims’ parents in reporting. But there needs to be an evaluation. The regional government should check the licences of all daycares, whether the carers have certifications, how nutritional needs are met, and so on, so that daycares become safe spaces for children’s growth and development,” he said. Previously, police raided Little Aresha Daycare on Friday (24/4), securing 30 people, and have named 13 suspects, consisting of one foundation head, one school principal, and 11 carers.