Regency takes savagely abused girl into care

Multa Fidrus The Jakarta Post/Tangerang

The Tangerang regency administration has taken into care a girl who was abused by her mother at the Binong Permai housing complex, Curug district, Tangerang, last August.

"We have arranged everything; the regency administration will cover all of her living expenses, including her education, until she can stand on her own two feet," Tangerang Regent Ismet Iskandar said on Saturday.

Anggi Febrianti, 5, has been in police custody since August after her neighbor Wahyudi reported to the police that the young girl had been abused repeatedly by her 35-year-old mother Sumarlis.

Upon receiving the report, local police arrested Sumarlis on the same day and later declared her a suspect on charges of child abuse.

She reportedly admitted to having beaten the girl, and to pinching her genitals and pulling out her teeth using a pair of pliers. Sumarlis also told police investigators that she beat Anggi using bamboo sticks, belts and iron bars.

The woman, who is in police custody awaiting trial in the Tangerang District Court, blamed Anggi for her abandonment by her husband two years ago.

Curug Police chief Adj. Insp. Suyono said the police had found sufficient prima facie evidence to charge the woman under Article 80 of Law No. 23/2002 on child abuse, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Regent Ismet said that Anggi, along with the many other children who had experienced a similar fate in the regency, deserved to be helped by the regency administration.

"We are concerned about the extraordinary physical abuse that this girl received at the hands of her mother," he said.

Ismet did not say how much money would be allocated for Anggi's upkeep and education in the regency's 2006 budget.

"I will discuss this matter with the regency council first and I am very sure that the councillors will agree for the girl to be taken into care as a ward of state," he said.

Anggi is now attending the Persatuan Budi Luhur Kindergarten in Tangerang.

The money for Anggi's upkeep and education would be channeled through the regency social affairs agency starting next year.

Ismet said the right to bring up the girl would be transferred to Winarni, a policewoman posted to the Curug subprecinct, who has been looking after Anggi since her mother was arrested.