Yogyakarta Police Reconstruct Child Abuse Scenes at Little Aresha Daycare

The Yogyakarta City Police (Polresta Yogyakarta) held a reconstruction on Tuesday (9 June) of a criminal case involving alleged violence and child abuse at the Little Aresha Daycare in the Sorosutan ward. The head of the Criminal Investigation Unit, Commissioner Rizky Adrian, explained that the reconstruction was carried out to align witness and suspect testimonies with the legal facts gathered by investigators at the scene. The 13 suspects re-enacted 23 scenes depicting the complete chronology, starting from the moment children were dropped off by parents, the binding process, the untying of ropes when children ate and drank, to the creation of false daily reports for parents. “The focus was mainly on the binding process and the acts of violence committed by the suspects against the victims,” stated Commissioner Rizky Adrian. Based on investigative findings, the violence inflicted by the daycare staff included binding the victims’ bodies, laying them down on their backs, and neglecting them for specific durations. The reconstruction was attended directly by officials from the High Prosecutor’s Office, the District Prosecutor’s Office, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAID) of Yogyakarta City, and the Women and Children Protection Unit (PPA). The proceedings were marked by tension and emotional outbursts from the victims’ families, though the reconstruction was ultimately conducted safely and smoothly. The anger of residents present at the location was expressed through shouting and cursing. They were furious because they had entrusted their children to the daycare in the hope of receiving good care, but instead their children were subjected to what they deemed inhumane treatment. “We are disgusted. We entrusted our children hoping they would be educated and cared for properly here, but they were treated like that,” said Ismanto, frustrated. He noted that the violence experienced by his child had both physical and psychological effects, as the child had been placed in the daycare for approximately three years and one month. He stated that the trauma suffered by both children and parents would require a very long recovery period. “Who could endure, as a parent, seeing our own child tied up? Of course, the recovery process is quite lengthy, quite long. Even today we are still in the process of recovery,” he said. The victims’ parents have high expectations for the judicial system to hand down the maximum possible sentence to the 13 suspects, proportionate to their actions. Following this reconstruction, the investigative team will immediately complete the case file to be swiftly transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office for trial. This case of child abuse serves as a critical reminder that alternative childcare services still face major challenges regarding child protection. Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Singgih Januratmoko, affirmed that child protection must be the top priority in the operation of daycare services in Indonesia. Reflecting on the vulnerability of children in minimally supervised private care institutions, officials have stressed the importance of the state’s presence in providing safe childcare facilities.