(Jakarta, 1st) Indonesia has seen 50 cases of child kidnapping and trafficking this year, causing widespread anxiety among parents who worry their children might become the next victims.
The Jakarta Post reports that kidnapping cases involving minors in Indonesia have continued to rise. Police records show that from January to November this year, 50 kidnapping and trafficking cases involving victims under the age of 20 were reported nationwide, most of which were linked to illegal adoption platforms on social media. This figure is far higher than the 28 similar cases in 2022. There is no related data for 2023 and 2024.
Tuti, who has a 10-year-old son, is among the many parents concerned about their children's safety. She said: "As a parent, seeing this kind of news makes me very worried. Lately, my husband and I have been watching our son more closely."
Earlier this month, a 4-year-old girl was abducted from a playground in Makassar, South Sulawesi. After a six-day nationwide search, authorities found the girl deep in the forests of Jambi, Sumatra—2,400 kilometers away.
Earlier this month, a 4-year-old girl was abducted from a playground in Makassar, South Sulawesi. After a six-day nationwide search, authorities found the girl deep in the forests of Jambi, Sumatra—2,400 kilometers away.
Police later revealed that this was the work of an interprovincial child trafficking gang. The perpetrator abducted the girl for 3 million rupiah (about RM 744.5), and an accomplice then resold her for 15 million rupiah in Jambi, in preparation for her to be "adopted".
This case made Tuti, who lives in South Tangerang, Banten, even more alert, fearing her only son could be at risk while playing near their home. She warned her son not to stray too far from their neighborhood when playing. "Now he himself has to be more careful, especially to beware of strangers around him."
Nida (39) from Depok, West Java, is a mother of three, with children in kindergarten, primary, and secondary school. She repeatedly reminds her children to be vigilant and avoids posting photos or location updates of her children on social media herself.
This case made Tuti, who lives in South Tangerang, Banten, even more alert, fearing her only son could be at risk while playing near their home. She warned her son not to stray too far from their neighborhood when playing. "Now he himself has to be more careful, especially to beware of strangers around him."
Nida (39) from Depok, West Java, is a mother of three, with children in kindergarten, primary, and secondary school. She repeatedly reminds her children to be vigilant and avoids posting photos or location updates of her children on social media herself.
Indonesian Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Bintang Puspayoga, expressed deep concern over the increase in cases of child trafficking. She stated that inadequate supervision and the misuse of social media to track children’s activities are contributing factors that are exposing minors to increasing risks.
She called on families to strengthen supervision of children in public places, maintain open communication between parents and children, and teach children to recognize dangerous situations in order to enhance child protection. Meanwhile, communities also need to stay alert and respond promptly to suspicious behavior.
Save the Children Indonesia communications manager Dewi urged authorities to take action to dismantle the human trafficking networks behind these cases, and called on the government to introduce more robust preventive measures.
She said: “The government needs to establish community-based integrated child protection groups to ensure the safety of community children. This can help raise public awareness of child trafficking prevention and facilitate the quick reporting of related incidents.”