Stepmother Arrested in Bekasi for Abusing Four-Year-Old Girl, Claimed It Was Discipline

Police have arrested a woman, identified by the initials DM (19), following the abuse of her four-year-old stepdaughter in Segara Makmur Village, Tarumajaya District, Bekasi Regency. DM is suspected of committing repeated acts of violence against the victim, identified as QSH, from May until early July 2026. The case is being handled based on a police report dated 9 July 2026, according to the Acting Chief of the Metro Bekasi Police, Senior Commissioner Ikhlas Putro Wasono, in a statement on Tuesday (14/7). The case came to light after police received a report from the Bekasi Regency UPTD PPA. The report stated that the victim was undergoing intensive care in the PICU of Koja Regional General Hospital, North Jakarta, in an unconscious state. Following the report, personnel from the Tarumajaya Police Criminal Investigation Unit visited the hospital and found a number of injuries on the victim’s body that were deemed unnatural. Preliminary post-mortem results indicated bruising on the back, chest, face, and abdomen, as well as abrasions and burns on the victim’s buttocks. DM had initially told hospital staff that the victim sustained the injuries from slipping in the bathroom. However, medical staff found injuries inconsistent with that account. Based on the initial investigation, DM allegedly committed the violence under the pretext of disciplining the victim. The abuse was allegedly carried out by hitting the victim with a water dipper, pinching, and injuring parts of the victim’s body using a toothbrush. Ikhlas stated that further investigation suggests DM also committed the acts out of resentment towards her husband’s words. The victim was known to be living with DM and a one-year-old stepsibling, while the victim’s biological father was working abroad and, based on initial questioning, was unaware of the alleged abuse. The police have secured evidence including a green water dipper, a blue child’s toothbrush, the suspect’s clothing, and the preliminary post-mortem report from Koja Regional General Hospital. Police have also questioned the reporter, the victim’s older sibling, the victim’s grandmother, and several other related parties. For her actions, DM is charged under Article 76C in conjunction with Article 80 of Law Number 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection.