The recent reports of sadistic murder and sexual abuse of dozens of children - mainly street kids - by two pedophiles clearly show how fragile the security of juniors is in urban areas like Jakarta, particularly among street children and those who receive less attention, if any, from their parents.
The confession of street vendor Baekuni, alias "Babe", 49, that he sexually abused his victims before killing them saddens and shocks any civilized person. The man, who is now under police investigation primarily for mutilating a 10-year-old boy, surprisingly admitted he killed 12 children in total. The number of his victims could in fact be higher, as it has increased during his recollections of all his ill-deeds. Babe said he had mutilated victims in an attempt to prevent police from tracing his crimes.
And Baekuni is apparently not the only monster for children. It is believed there are many others out there. Police are now hunting down another pedophile, known by street children only as "Abang Kaca Mata", who had reportedly sodomized 15 children.
These recent reports of the rape and murder of children are just the latest in reports of cases affecting youths. On Jan. 10, a kidnapper took a newborn baby from the lap of the mother in public healthcare center in West Jakarta. Previously another kidnapper also took a baby in Depok, south of Jakarta, after convincing the mother her baby would be included in a baby contest.
The high number of crimes affecting children is really a wake-up call for all of us. It is high time we established programs to help and protect children. We welcome efforts of relevant parties -Jakarta Social Services Agency, police and NGOs - to deal with this issue.
Persuasive approaches such as entertaining street children with educational films and entertainments seem to be a good way to start. We believe that suppressive approaches such as arresting or conducting physical tests on allegedly sodomized victims will only see them keep away from people who try to help in future, or create more trauma over their past experiences.
What the victims need now is knowledge about how they can protect themselves from notorious criminals like Baekuni and Abang Kaca Mata because more time and efforts are needed to convince them to leave the streets and return to their parents or to stay at rehabilitation centers.
Another effort may include prosecuting parents or adults, who employ children on streets - seen at many intersections across the city. More comprehensive solutions, including fighting poverty in urban areas, should be an important agenda because poverty is considered a strong factor in pushing children onto the streets.
And lastly, although street children are an easy target for criminals, we should remain alert that these incidents could affect any child, including those who live at home with their parents. The kidnapping cases are a clear sign of this danger.
Therefore, parents need to learn measures to protect their children from crime. Parents need to know all close friends of their children, and be aware of their children's activities outside the house. We have the right to demand all related parties, including the police, to do their jobs, but in the end the parents are most responsible for the security of their children.
