Yogyakarta City Government Forms Team to Address Impact of Daycare Abuse Case
The Yogyakarta City Government has formed a special team to address the psychological and physical impacts suffered by victims of violence at the Little Aresha daycare.
Yogyakarta Mayor Hasto Wardoyo stated that the formation of the special team involves paediatric specialists and sub-specialists in child development from Dr Sardjito Central General Hospital (RSUP) in Yogyakarta.
“Handling victims requires specific expertise that not all general practitioners possess,” said Hasto on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
The special team includes at least eight child development experts tasked with ensuring a comprehensive recovery process.
The Yogyakarta City Government is also deploying professional psychologists to support the victims.
“A total of 104 registered children are receiving psychological support, with a ratio of one psychologist handling four to five children,” said Hasto.
The involvement of these experts is expected to detect potential long-term impacts of the violence as early as possible.
Hasto also responded to information regarding allegations of the use of sleeping pills or certain substances such as CTM administered to the child victims at the daycare.
As an obstetrician, Hasto acknowledged that medically proving the use of CTM is quite difficult because the drug has a short duration of action in the body.
He explained that biological traces of the drug in faeces or urine would be very difficult to trace if examinations are conducted more than eight hours after consumption.
Therefore, detection through psychologists is being pursued as an alternative to look for signs of addiction or behaviours indicating exposure to chemical substances.
“Other approaches to track the use of the drug include through psychologists, for example, whether the child shows signs of dependence on certain drugs or addiction, because the biological approach is not easy,” he said.
However, Hasto stated that his side is ready to facilitate comprehensive medical examinations and screenings for the victims if needed for the police investigation.
Meanwhile, the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, stated that his side has ordered the temporary closure of discovered unlicensed daycares following the revelation of the Little Aresha case.
The Sultan also instructed regional heads throughout DIY to issue a circular on daycare operations, one of which requires the provision of surveillance camera facilities or CCTV.
“In the procedures created previously, for example, CCTV was not included; now CCTV is necessary,” said the Sultan.
The Sultan also emphasised that the use of CCTV must be transparent and, if necessary, can be accessed by the public around the daycare to ensure effective supervision.