Three arrested for child trafficking

Three arrested for child trafficking

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Police arrested over the weekend three Indonesian women
and are still hunting down two foreigners -- one American and one
Irish citizen -- for their alleged roles in trafficking at least
60 babies out of the country in recent years.

City police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Bagus Ekodanto announced
on Monday that they had arrested three women identified as RDN,
MRT and ER for persuading poor mothers around their neighborhood
in Ciputat, South Jakarta, to sell their children to foreigners.

"RDN has admitted to us that she sold between 60 to 80 babies
to foreigners over the past few years. RDN is the main suspect,
while MRT and ER helped her," Bagus said.

Bagus said the U.S. citizen identified as JW had acted as a
middleman, contacting foreigners who wanted to adopt Indonesian
children, while an Irishman identified as Joseph Dowse was one of
the foreigners who adopted an Indonesian baby from the three
women.

He said that JW was still in Indonesia, while Dowse had left
the country.

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah said
that surveillance over the trafficking case had begun in 2004
when his office investigated the adoption of Tristan alias Erwin
by Dowse.

Dowse adopted Erwin from his mother Suryani through the South
Jakarta Court and the Irish government officially declared Erwin
an Irish citizen in 2001.

Bachtiar said that Dowse later neglected the child when his
wife was pregnant.

"Dowse left Erwin in an orphanage and went abroad. The couple
then asked the Irish government to take away Erwin's status as
their child. The Irish government rejected the plea," Bachtiar
said.

Concerned over Erwin's welfare, the ministry investigated the
case and found out that many other children had been sold by RDN.

RDN, helped by MRT and ER, approached pregnant women in poor
areas and persuaded them to give up their children, and reported
to JW if a mother was willing to sell her child.

On the promise that a foreigner would look after their
children better, many mothers gave up their children.

Bachtiar said the suspects would pay most of the mothers
around Rp 1 million (US$105) for a baby, who they sold for
between Rp 40 million and Rp 50 million.

The three women are now being detained at the city police
headquarters.

Bachtiar said that police had sufficient evidence, including
eight child victims of trafficking, documents detailing child
transactions, pictures and JW's written statement, to bring the
case to court.

"We have taken care of the eight children in our orphanage in
Cipayung (East Jakarta). We are still tracking down other
children. We will find their mothers and ask them if they want to
rear their children. If they can't afford them, the state will
take care of them," he said.

All of the suspects will be charged under several articles of
Law No. 23/2002 on child trafficking and the Criminal Code, and
could face a maximum punishment of 15 years' imprisonment if
found guilty.