The capital was recently rocked by revelations of a child sexual abuse case that the Commission for the Protection of Indonesian Children (KPAI) is calling among the biggest ever seen in Jakarta.
The suspect, 46-year-old Syanwani, allegedly sexually abused a large number of children in the Jalan Pejuang IV neighborhood in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.
“So far, there are 26 children who were abused by Syanwani. I admit, there’s a high probability that the number of underage victims [reporting Syanwani to the police] will increase. Initially, there were 10 victims [when the suspect was first reported to the police],” said KPAI Secretary General Erlinda, as quoted by Warta Kota yesterday.
The suspect was a figure who was close to the victims. He held various jobs in the neighborhood, including being an ojek driver and a mosque attendant. He also coached the neighborhood children’s futsal team. Some of his players ended up becoming his victim.
Locals caught Syanwani sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy in a place of worship on August 12, but Syanwani managed to evade capture then. The Kelapa Gading Police finally tracked him down and arrested the pervert on September 2.
Kelapa Gading Police Chief said Syanwani rewarded his victims with Rp 5,000 to Rp 15,000 after each incident of sexual abuse. It’s not known exactly how many times Syanwani committed his vile acts.
Syanwani could face up to 15 years in prison for child sexual abuse, but the KPAI is hoping that his punishment can be even more severe.
“KPAI is hoping that should the Criminal Code get revised, the death penalty could be applied to child sex abusers,” Erlinda said.
