A six-year-old girl was reunited with her family after about a month of being abducted. The family was relieved, emotional and also very happy.
By
ERIKA KURNIA
·5 minutes read
KOMPAS
Malika in her parents' arms. The police arrested Iwan Sumarno, 42 years old, who was suspected of kidnapping Malika. It took 26 days to catch Iwan.
On Tuesday morning (3/1/2023), Malika and her family gathered in a treatment room at the Dr. Cholid Sudirdjo building of the National Police Sukanto Hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta, where the fifth child of six siblings was moving freely and playing with her family.
The atmosphere can be seen in a video taken by Ardya Maharani (20), Malika's sister, when Azam Khan, the family attorney, came to visit. While holding Malika, Azam thanked God that the child was freed from her captor, Iwan Sumarno (42).
Onih (42), Malika's mother, screamed when she found out that Malika, who she was close to, was found safe. However, she was heartbroken when she discovered that her daughter was still wearing the clothes and sandals that she was wearing before she was abducted. Malika was also thinner and her skin looked darker.
Malika talked to Onih a lot, although not as much as before they were separated by the abductor who calls himself Yudi. “She said uncle Yudi often took her for walks on the sand, the complex or the market. So, in the morning she rested, in the afternoon she ate and she was asked to play around until midnight. At midnight, she slept in a certain place, but not every day. Most of the time, she was in the garbage cart,” said Onih, who works as a housemaid.
Malika recalled the story with a somber face. The perpetrator told her to walk until her sandals were thin, picking up used goods into a sack. People often gave Malika money, which she used to buy food. However, Yudi, who is also known as Iwan, often took Malika's money.
Coffee shop
Malika was abducted by Iwan at her parents' house, which also serves as a coffee shop, in Gunung Sahari, Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (7/12/2022). From the statement of the victim's parents, Onih and Tunggal (48) said Iwan invited Malika to buy fried chicken. They left in an auto rickshaw and did not return.
Last Tuesday, on the 28th day of the abduction, the police found Malika in Iwan's garbage cart in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, Banten. Previously, Iwan was detected in Cipadu, Tangerang city.
Malika is a cheerful, outgoing child who can get along with anyone.
“I have known this child since she was one year old, her mother used to work with my aunt. We often talked. When my car passed in front of her, she waved her hands, saying 'Ready, uncle', 'Stop by, uncle'," said Azam, who works with the Central Jakarta Metro Police. The closeness of Azam with Malika was the reason the family asked for his help after reporting the child’s disappearance to the police on Friday (9/12/2022). He disseminated information on the search for Malika to the public, the advocate network and NGOs.
“Malika is a cheerful, outgoing child who can get along with anyone. That may be why the perpetrator targeted her, because this child was easy to communicate with and lure," Azam said.
Ardya said her parents knew the abductor, because he often stopped by the family coffee shop, where the perpetrator often talked with her younger sibling and her parents.
Azam was also suspicious of Iwan. "I see this perpetrator is semi-professional. He came to the parents of the victim, had coffee and talked. He brought pastries for some of the children. The parents were not suspicious because the man was nice. The perpetrator was perhaps thinking which child he would take,” he said.
ATIEK ISHLAHIYAH AL HAMASY
Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief (Kapolres) Kombes Komarudin showed a photo of Malika in her mother's arms after being found. Malika was allegedly abducted by Iwan Sumarno for 26 days and was found by the police on Monday (2/1/2023) night.
Since coming home from the Central Jakarta Metro Police on Tuesday at 12.13 a.m, Malika has been continuously monitored by a medical team. Head of the Police Health Medical Center Inspector-General Asep Hendradiana said Malika was in a weak condition when she arrived at the emergency room, but she was cooperative.
“When I entered the emergency room, she answered when she was asked questions. She could interact with her family," Asep said.
The police found several injuries, such as bruises on her lips and waist, as a result of being kicked by the perpetrator. "Indeed there were bruises after being beaten, as conveyed by the investigators. We are still working on the visum et repertum. The exact results will be delivered after they are complete," Asep added.
The head of Public Relations of the Jakarta Police, senior commissioner Endra Zulpan, confirmed that there was no indication of sexual harassment. Iwan was suspected to have committed violence, forcing Malika to come along and hide in the cart.
The public needs to be more sensitive to the possibility of children being threatened by abductors or those with bad intentions.
The police named Iwan, whose other names include Yudi, Jacky and Herman, as a suspect. Iwan was charged with Article 330 Paragraph (2) of the Criminal Code and Law Number 35/2014 on Child Protection. This article can be applied without waiting for the victim's testimony.
The head of the Criminal Investigations Unit at the Central Jakarta Police office, Adj. Sr. Comr. Gunarto said from the results of the investigation it was discovered that Iwan, who lived in Cilincing, North Jakarta, had a wife and children. However, they no longer communicated with each other.
National Police chief Gen. (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo, as disclosed by the head of the Public Relations division of the National Police, Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo, in a press conference at the Police Hospital said all costs for Malika's treatment were paid by the Police.
Deputy of Special Protection of Children at the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry Nahar said efforts were needed to prevent child abduction from happening again. These efforts include surveillance, protection, prevention, care and rehabilitation.
“It is not easy for the police to reveal this. Therefore, prevention needs to be prioritized. The public needs to be more sensitive to the possibility of children being threatened by abductors or those with bad intentions," said Nahar.
Do not let bad people take away the happy smile of a child, like what happened to Malika.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
