Palembang Couple Confess to Selling Three-Day-Old Baby for Rp52 Million Amid Financial Hardship

A couple in Palembang, South Sumatra, identified as HA (31) and S (27), who sold their baby for 52 million rupiah, have now been arrested. The perpetrators confessed to selling their child due to economic factors.

The baby’s father, HA, stated that the baby was their fourth child, one of whom had already passed away. HA said he was unable to afford the costs of his children’s education.

“Yes, that’s my child, not yet named, and it’s a girl. Because I can’t afford to support two of my children, plus the costs for their education,” he said in front of the police, as reported by detikSumbagsel on Tuesday (24 February 2026).

The Head of the Child, Women, and Victim Protection Sub-Directorate of the Special Crimes Directorate of the South Sumatra Regional Police, AKBP Rizka Aprianti, said that they are currently detaining the baby’s father. Meanwhile, the baby’s mother is still considered a witness and is caring for the baby, who is only three days old.

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

Based on preliminary investigations, according to Rizka, the perpetrators sold their baby due to the family’s economic situation. They will continue to conduct a more in-depth investigation into the case.

“Economic factors; preliminary investigations show that this is the first time they have sold a child, but we will investigate further. The father played a bigger role, such as posting and publicising the offer,” she said.

It is known that this case was uncovered following intensive cyber patrols conducted by officers from the Child, Women, and Victim Protection Directorate of the South Sumatra Regional Police.

During the patrol, officers detected an illegal adoption offer on social media made by the two perpetrators. Subsequently, an informant responded to the offer, expressing interest in adopting the child or baby after it was born.

Then, on 19 February 2026, the baby’s mother, identified as S, gave birth to a baby girl who had not yet been named. The couple contacted the informant again and informed them that the child had been born and was ready to be taken/adopted.

Read the full story here.

(dwr/idh)