Indonesian National Police have a made a unsettling discovery of child exploitation at a spa in Bali.
Police had received a tip-off about human trafficking at the spa, according to Head of Sub III Directorate General of the Crime Agency of the Criminal Investigation Police, Commissioner Umar Surya Fana.
“As many as 12 girls, aged between 13 and 15 years, were employed as therapists at the spa,” Fana told Antara Bali.
“During the operation, we found 12 girls working as therapists at the spa. The girls are from Lampung, Central Java, East Java, and Kalimantan.
“The victims are being rehabilitated at Bali’s Social Services Department. The victims will act as witnesses in this case. The police are looking for additional evidence.”
Under Indonesian Child Protection Law, the three perps could get a minimum sentence of five years, while under Human Trafficking Law, a minimum of three years. But the minimum is not enough, Fana says.
“We do not want the judges to sentence the perpetrators to three years in prison.”
The child victims were lured into work at the spa with salaries of Rp 20 million per month and a bonus of Rp 100k per therapy.
But the children never saw such lucrative cash. For their illegal labor, they got Rp 6 million per month with a bonus of Rp 10k per therapy.
“They were forced to work 24 hours a day. They were not allowed to leave the shelter.”
Police believe the suspects were working independently and not as part of a syndicate.
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