Two Babies Abandoned in South Jakarta Within Three Days

Editor JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – In the span of three days, two babies were found in circumstances believed to indicate abandonment in South Jakarta. The incidents occurred in Pasar Minggu and Kebayoran Baru in early March 2026. The first case occurred on Jalan Pejaten Raya, Pasar Minggu, on Tuesday 3 March 2026. The baby was first discovered by a resident named Dinda (20) after she heard crying from outside her house. When she checked the source of the sound, she found a bag containing a very small baby. ‘Then the witness checked inside the shopping bag and saw a baby girl lying on her side, wearing a blue teddy bear onesie and wrapped in a baby blanket,’ said the head of the Pasar Minggu Police Sector, Kompol Anggiat Sinambela, in a statement on Thursday 5 March 2026. Inside the bag were also baby items, such as boxed red-packaged infant formula, wet wipes, blue gloves, and a note. In the note it stated that the baby had been named with the initials AR and was born on Monday 2 March 2026. ‘Assalamualaikum, to the father/mother who found my younger sibling, I, Zidan, would like to ask you to care for my younger sibling, because my mother died during childbirth, please treat him as your own child,’ the note read. The baby has since been taken to a Balita Home in Cipayung, East Jakarta for care. The head of the South Jakarta Social Service Office, Bernard Tambunan, said the baby may be eligible for adoption by a family that meets the requirements. ‘Those interested should first visit the home, then fill out an administrative check and application forms, and so on,’ Bernard said when contacted on Thursday 5 March 2026. According to Bernard, prospective adoptive parents must go through several procedures, including court proceedings. Also read: The baby abandoned by his sister in Pasar Minggu is now being cared for at Panti Balita Cipayung