Parliament: Impose maximum punishment on perpetrators of child violence in Yogyakarta daycare

No childcare institution should operate without operational standards, caregiver certification, and strict periodic audits. Jakarta (ANTARA) - A member of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Selly Andriany Gantina, has called on the police to thoroughly investigate the case of violence at a daycare (childcare centre) in Yogyakarta and to ensnare the perpetrators with the maximum punishment, in accordance with Law Number 35 of 2014 on Child Protection. “The fact that hundreds of children became victims, with 53 of them experiencing physical violence, is not merely a number but a humanitarian tragedy that shows a serious failure in the child protection and supervision system in formal childcare spaces,” said Selly in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday. Quoting House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, Selly also emphasised that maximum punishment should be given to all perpetrators, without compromise, through the application of layered articles within the framework of the Child Protection Law. Selly views this case as reflecting weaknesses in the licensing and supervision system for childcare centres (daycares). Selly also considers that such violent practices did not occur in a short time. Therefore, she believes there is reasonable suspicion of negligence in supervision by various related parties. Selly further views the violence as occurring due to low child protection standards in business-based childcare services. “Children must not be positioned as objects of commercialisation without guarantees of safety and proper development,” she said. To prevent such incidents from recurring, she urged a total evaluation and national audit of all daycares in Indonesia, including legality, operational standards, and the competence of caregivers. According to her, with the involvement of local governments and relevant ministries, particularly the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), this can strengthen the early detection system and rapid response to child violence. “Children are the most vulnerable group that must be totally protected by families, society, and the state,” said Selly. She also reminded that this incident must become a momentum for major corrections regarding child safety, which cannot be fully entrusted to market mechanisms but must be guaranteed through strict regulations and active state supervision.