Parents arrested for maiming six-year-old

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Two years after the House of Representatives passed the Child Protection bill into law, the abuse of minors remains widespread, with the most recently reported case in Pasar Kemis, here.

The victim, May Andriani, 6, was allegedly abused by her mother, Wina, 40, and stepfather, Ucok Simanungkalit, 45. Over the course of a year, both May's legs were broken and she was repeatedly burned with cigarette butts and beaten.

"Moving my legs is very painful. Father hit them with a wooden block," May said from her bed at Tangerang General Hospital on Thursday.

Pasar Kemis Police arrested Wina and Simanungkalit, who works as a public minivan driver, on Wednesday evening, after their neighbors filed a report on suspected child abuse.

Neighbor Sumarni, 46, told the police she became suspicious on Wednesday afternoon as May had not come out to play with her daughter three days running.

When both parents were not at home, Sumarni visited May and was shocked to see the girl lying on her bed with bruises all over her body. She immediately ran for help from other neighbors.

The girl told her neighbors she had been beaten by her stepfather and locked inside her bedroom for three days. She said she could not walk because her legs hurt so much.

Both Wina and Simanungkalit were still being questioned by the police on Thursday afternoon. The police were waiting for the results of the hospital's physical examination of May to determine her injuries.

Pasar Kemis Police detectives chief Second Insp. Sitinjak said May's mother and stepfather could be charged under the Child Protection Law. If convicted, they could face up to 15 year's imprisonment.

Sumarni claimed she had often witnessed the girl being beaten, but had been afraid to report her parents to the police.

She said she had once seen May being beaten with an iron rod, the girl had shouted out, begging for forgiveness. She also said she had witnessed May's head being held underwater in the bathtub.

"I couldn't bear to see her being beaten up, but I couldn't do anything about it. I was afraid to interfere in their business," she said.