The case of an Indonesian woman, identified by her initials CW, has perplexed both the authorities and public, with many questions surrounding her alleged illegal adoption of five children as well as her reported residence in three high-end Jakarta hotels in over the past 10 years.
In late February, police and social services apprehended the middle aged woman over suspicions that she had abused her five adopted children — the oldest being 14 and the youngest 8 — after one of them ran away. More questions were raised as the police found out that CW and the children have been at three hotels in Jakarta – Le Meridien, Twin Plaza, and the Peninsula – for close to a decade at a cost calculated by Kompas to amount to approximately IDR12 billion (US$871,650).
Investigation into the case initially moved at a snail’s pace as CW had health complications following her arrest. However, the police have now been able to question her and shed some light onto how she managed to afford such costly hotel living.
“She said that she heals people supernaturally. So those people (her clients) give her the [hotel] facilities. Other than that, she also has inheritance money,” said Jakarta Metro Police Spokesperson Argo Yuwono, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.
To the police, CW admitted that she decided to care for the children for “humanitarian” reasons as they came from unfortunate circumstances, such as losing their parents when they were young. However, according to the one child who ran away from her and eventually reported her to the authorities, CW abused and neglected them at times, such as when she locked two children in a hotel room while she went to Singapore. Some suspect that CW did not send the children to school as they appear to be illiterate.
The five children are currently staying in a safe house in East Jakarta. The Social Ministry and the Commission for the Protection for Indonesian Children (KPAI) are trying to identify and locate the children’s biological parents or guardians in the hope that the children will be returned to them soon.
Police have not announced any charges against CW. Under Indonesian law, the illegal adoption of a child is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.
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