Parents of Toddler Victims from Yogyakarta Daycare Speak Out, Flock to Yogyakarta Police Station
Dozens of parents of children suspected to be victims of abuse at Little Aresha Daycare in Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta City, flocked to the Yogyakarta Police Station Resort on Saturday (25/4/2026). From Saturday afternoon until evening, they took turns arriving to file reports and give testimonies about what happened and what their children experienced.
Republika’s observations showed that the parents’ arrival was marked by emotion. Some appeared to be crying, while others seemed confused, unable to believe that the children they entrusted for care had allegedly suffered inhumane treatment from the daycare caregivers.
One of them, Khairunisa, revealed that her 1.5-year-old child was suspected of experiencing abuse while at the daycare.
“I am reporting while also witnessing yesterday’s incident, and indeed my child’s hand was tied here. Tied and swaddled. She was only wearing a nappy,” she said at the Yogyakarta Police Station Resort on Saturday (25/4/2026).
“Slept on without a pillow or mattress,” she added.
She admitted that she had not been suspicious all this time because the daycare regularly sent daily activity reports privately to parents. However, suspicions arose when her child returned home in a fearful state, showing changes in behaviour.
Other changes were also noticed, such as the child suddenly refusing to sleep on a mattress and preferring the floor without a pillow. Additionally, her child had been suffering from a persistent cough since being at the daycare.
Similar sentiments were expressed by another parent with the initials S. She said she was initially attracted to Little Aresha Daycare due to promotional materials showing convincing facilities. However, parents’ access to the daycare area was restricted under the pretext of maintaining sterility.
“Parents only received daily reports. But after this case was exposed, we suspect the photos and reports were staged,” she revealed.
From the information received, there was allegedly an improper caregiving pattern, such as babies being swaddled almost all day, children being tied to prevent movement, and other inhumane behaviours that were only recently realised.
“We came to the police station to follow up on the case which is suspected to involve criminal child abuse from Friday’s raid,” she said.
Meanwhile, another parent, Miko, also expressed shock after the daycare went viral. He had entrusted his two children, aged 5.5 years and 2 years, there.
“When I picked up my child, (someone told me) there were behaviours that the caregivers should not have done to the students,” he said.
“I entrusted two of my children there, the older one 5.5 years old since he was 15 months, and the younger one 2 years old. I only found out yesterday, shocked, what’s going on with everyone rushing,” he added.
He hopes for a legal resolution to what happened. “I still have good faith, we are all still waiting (for the process from the police),” he said.