Strengthen Child Protection Synergy

The abduction of Malika Anastasya, 6, has become an alarm and at the same time a challenge to the country to intensify and optimize child protection.

ATIEK ISHLAHIYAH AL HAMASY

Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief (Kapolres) Kombes Komarudin showed a photo of Malika in her family 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.

Prior to the case of Malika, in May 2022 a case of the abduction of 12 children in South Jakarta and Bogor, West Java was revealed. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) recorded that in 2022 there were 28 child abduction cases, higher than the rate in 2021, totaling 15 cases.

Owing to their age and physicality, children are prone to becoming victims of crimes, including abduction and various other forms of violence. Different regulations have been issued to guarantee child protection, such as the Constitutions of 1945, Law No.35/2014 on Child Protection, and Presidential Regulation No.101/2022 on the National Strategy for the Elimination of Violence against Children signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on July 15, 2022.

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The regulations constitute the government’s commitment to make sure that every child receives protection from all forms of violence. Child protection also becomes the main priority in every sector of development as contained in the national medium-term development plan.

However, they have not yet sufficiently provided protection for children. Cases of violence against children in Indonesia remain high in numbers. In 2021, for instance, there were 2,982 reports on cases of violence against children recorded by the KPAI, including abductions. This indicates that the existing regulations have not yet proven to offer optimum guarantee to child protection.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

Onih (left) and her single husband, Malika Anastasya's parents, were victims of kidnapping by a scavenger named Iwan Sumarno, when met at the National Police Hospital, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, Tuesday (3/1/2023).

Child protection is not only the responsibility of the government, but also of all parties in society. The existing rules stipulate inter-stakeholder synergy to guarantee child protection. Presidential Regulation No.101/2022 reaffirms the synergy by giving a mandate to 17 ministries and institutions to ensure that every child receives protection from all forms of violence.

This regulation at the same time poses a challenge to strengthen synergy between ministries and institutions as well as the public. The key to the elimination of violence against children lies in preventive efforts, which should be made from upstream to downstream. In this case the involvement of the public is very important. It involves how to raise public concern and awareness of the importance of child protection. It is about creating a friendly and safe environment for children.

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The threat to children is not always hidden. As in the case of Malika, before the incident, the perpetrator frequently gave food to Malika’s family. The attitude of residents tends to be permissive to those doing “good deeds,” often relaxing their caution.

Cases of violence against children are often hidden from the public eye accustomed to observing children being “employed” as scavengers, street singers or beggars by adults or even their parents. This serves as proof that the system of child protection is still weak. Increasingly better inter-stakeholder synergy is expected to strengthen the system of child protection.

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.