Women's Empowerment Minister Condemns Baby Trafficking Network
Jakarta – Indonesia’s Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Arifah Fauzi, has strongly condemned human trafficking offences involving baby trafficking, which was recently uncovered by officers from the Directorate of Women and Child Protection and Human Trafficking at the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate.
“Baby trafficking is a serious violation of children’s rights to life, care, and protection. Children are not commodities that can be bought and sold for any reason. We appreciate the hard work of the team at the Directorate of Women and Child Protection and Human Trafficking at the Criminal Investigation Directorate, who successfully investigated and deepened the case of child abduction in Makassar, thereby dismantling another, more organised network,” said Minister Arifah Fauzi in Jakarta on Friday.
According to her, from this disclosure, seven infants were successfully rescued and are currently undergoing biopsychosocial assessments to ensure their health, safety, and care needs.
So far, police have arrested 12 suspects. Eight of them acted as intermediaries, whilst four others were the biological parents of the infants.
The network operated across multiple regions, including Jambi, the Riau Islands, Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Kalimantan, Bali, and Papua.
“This action is part of an organised network that exploited the vulnerability of families. Law enforcement must be pursued to the fullest. Every party involved in the baby trafficking network must be held accountable so that there is no room for similar practices in the future,” said Minister Arifatul Choiri Fauzi.
The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection is committed to overseeing the handling of the case by coordinating with law enforcement agencies and other relevant parties to implement measures for child protection and the fulfilment of children’s rights as a crucial step to prevent similar crimes from recurring.